Chapters:

1. First Blood

Scared blue eyes stared out at her from behind a ruined wall. Covered in ash grey and char streaks and huddled behind a bulkhead that no longer offered much protection, it was the eyes that caught her attention. The only bright thing about him. A flicker of light in a hallway choked with dust and smoke, the smallest hint of motion that somehow interrupted her concentration, and--as was becoming all too common these days--she hesitated.

He wasn't supposed to be here. She had ordered Ecliptor to locate a ship without prisoners, preferably one without even a slave crew, one that was on its way to the surface instead of heading out with live cargo. She didn't need more deaths on her conscience for a cause that wasn't even the monarchy's own--for what amounted to little more than a whim. She had done this herself, sent this ship spiraling to its doom for no one's purpose but her own.

There was no turning back, and she hadn't become who she was by questioning her actions. She needed to find a working monitor. But she couldn't turn away from those blue eyes. What would Ashley say, if she found out that she had sacrificed a child for the good of the galaxies?

"Come here," she said imperiously.

Wide eyes stared back at her from the dubious safety of his hiding place. A crash from somewhere up ahead, a fresh inhalation of smoke so strong that she tried not to breathe. It was entirely possible that this ship would disintegrate before it ever hit the ground. They could already be in the atmosphere and she wouldn't know it. She hadn't planned to die on this excursion.

"It's not safe here," she told the child, trying to moderate her tone a little. Any idiot could see that. But sometimes children responded better to cajoling than threats... so she'd heard from the slavers' reports.

"You have to come with me," she added, "so we can get away from this ship."

The eyes just looked at her, and she wondered if there might be something wrong with him. She didn't have time for this. "Don't move," she told him, striding forward to lift him out of his hiding place.

He didn't have anything she could identify as a weapon and he seemed intact, so she clutched him to her chest and headed determinedly toward auxiliary tactical. Thin, strong arms gripped her neck. She almost dropped him right then, but his threat assessment was minimal and really, what could hurt her?

The destruction of this ship could hurt her. The first tactical monitor was operational, though it responded negatively to her command, "Show me the ground." She grimaced, then enunciated clearly, "VEM scanners display terrain surrounding projected crash site."

A stable image of the landscape appeared instantly, and she ignored the monitor's prompt for further information. "We're going," she told the child in her arms. "I hope you're not allergic to magic."

Violet light swirled around them, making the thick air glow even as a blanket of welcome silence settled over the screech of overstressed bulkheads and the inescapable alarms. She was moving even before the curtain parted, walking out of the magical haze into the untainted air of a terrestrial environment. The thundering boom that followed on her heels told her she hadn't left any time to spare. The ground shuddered beneath her feet a moment later.

She kept walking, the slave boy held firmly to her even as he lifted his head. He seemed no less intrigued by their new surroundings than she was, but they didn't have time to stop and survey them. The crash of their ship could not have gone unnoticed. Air patrols should already be swarming into the area, and she needed to get close enough to see her destination before they could teleport the rest of the way.

It was pretty, though. She tried not to look, but she couldn't help seeing what was right in front of her. The hills rolled away in every direction, and the nearest town was a tranquil picture in the midst of this unmarred landscape. What could only be civilian air traffic flickered overhead. There was no steady drone of velocifighters, no echoing clang of mining equipment, no smog above or even on the horizon.

It was disturbingly idyllic. Almost as though she had walked into a fantasy. It made her skin prickle with anticipation, waiting for reality to intrude, waiting for the harsh realization that she had been discovered and placed into some kind of mindwarp or worse. It was always a possibility. It wasn't something she could allow to paralyze her.

The hum of fighter engines in tight formation coincided with her first glimpse of their target. She didn't want to teleport from here. She'd prefer to be a lot closer, get not only a better look but some sense of the security. She didn't want to end up in the middle of an intruder defense that shot first and asked questions later.

Unfortunately, what she wanted was not her first priority. She would not allow herself to be taken by local law enforcement, no matter how ineffective it could prove to be against her. She would not leave without at least attempting to carry out a plan that seemed less and less sane the further it progressed. Therefore she would teleport, at a distance and into a highly uncertain reception, before the fighters could catch up with her location.

She tightened her grip around the slave boy and let the magic swirl around them again. The silver sparkle just visible through the hills became a looming edifice at close range. As the violet light dimmed and vanished, she found herself doing it again.

Hesitating. Should she walk right up? Were there, even now, weapons trained on her that would fire at the slightest motion? Would there be live response to her presence at all? There were roles played by good and evil all over the universe: evil attacked, good defended. How much of that generalization could she apply to specific circumstances and still expect to walk away alive?

A violet sphere appeared in front of her, danced forward, paused. Continued unmolested. She followed, every sense as alert as it could be considering the situation.

She made it three steps. Four, if she counted the half step that halted the moment she saw the light. Multiple lights. Three glowing balls careened across the grassy expanse, encircled her, hovered a moment. Then each discharged a shower of sparks that faded into a uniformed enemy she would recognize anywhere.

Yellow, black, and... purple? She had seen a lot of Rangers. Pink, turqoise, even orange. But never a purple one. Purple wasn't even a color--humans were the only ones who could see it. She allowed a single moment of derision while her mind automatically processed weapons, formation, likely weaknesses.

Hidden strengths. The teammates she couldn't see. The intruder defense systems that had yet to manifest. Air support. She had to assume these Rangers were in immediate contact with the fighters she had temporarily evaded. And of course, whatever was inside that structure behind them.

"What are you doing here?" The Yellow Ranger asked the question, and she recognized the voice immediately. No "who are you" from her. She reminded herself sternly that this Ashley was not the same person who had traded captivity for propaganda... and that could work either for or against her.

The boy shifted in her arms, but she didn't dare set him down yet. It was entirely possible that he had tipped the balance in her favor, at least for the moment. Rangers didn't shoot children. But what could she tell them that would keep that favor on her side?

"I need your help," she said, trying to gauge their reactions. Rangers gave away a surprising amount for armored soldiers with visored helmets. The Yellow and Purple Rangers looked at each other, while the Black Ranger folded his arms. He, at least, was unimpressed.

"You'll forgive us if we don't take your word for it," the Black Ranger said dryly. "You from the dimension that's been flooding our system with velocifighters?"

"Yes." And if anything happened to Ecliptor in her absence, she might never make it back. He was the only one she trusted to monitor the ID generator for incoming as well as outgoing codes. "I used the velocifighter portal to come here. You're the only way I can get a message to Ashley without it being hacked a hundred times over."

"Ashley?" the Yellow Ranger repeated. She and the Purple Ranger exchanged glances again. "What do you want with Ashley?"

If this was a mindwarp, she would lose everything right now. Her consciousness noted this idly while the unthinking part of her brain followed through with the original plan. "I want to know how far the Free Systems could get if they went on the offensive right now. If they pushed toward the Border, and the Border pushed back."

"Nowhere." It was her own voice, and her eyes widened as her attention shifted to... the Purple Ranger?

"They'd get nowhere," her voice repeated. "The Border is already pushing in your dimension. It's crushing everything in its path, and the Free Systems are holding as best they can. You must know they can't go anywhere."

"Not the monarchy," she corrected... herself. "I mean the Border. Friendly forces on the Border. What if allies of the Free Systems cleared the Border and re-aligned themselves with Eltare?"

Her voice was flat when the Purple Ranger replied. "There are no friendly forces on the Border."

"There could be." She was talking to herself. There was no question about it, and she didn't know what to think. Would she be easier or harder to convince than the average Ranger? "If I make it back there."

There was silence for a moment, the surrounding chitter of wildlife drowned out by the approaching whine of fighters. A pair zipped by overhead, yawed sharp to port, and aborted their flyby as one--both coming around for another pass. They had seen her.

The Yellow Ranger put a hand to her ear, and a moment later she spoke so they could all hear. "Gold One, this is Gold Leader. Two survivors. Others possible?"

She didn't answer, uncertain whether the question had been directed at her and equally uncertain of the answer. Her expectation was no. But then, she hadn't expected to find the boy either.

"Negative, Gold One. Identities unconfirmed. They're in our custody for now."

Another pause, and she wondered what the word "custody" implied on a world so lightly touched by war. The Yellow Ranger continued, "Will advise. Thanks, Cara."

The fighters shot by overhead, turning in a more leisurely arc this time as they appeared to angle back the way they'd come. There was a wordless moment. Then, at no signal she could discern, the three Rangers crossed their wrists in front of them and flung their arms out to the side.

"Power down," they declared in unison.

She stared. It was something she had only heard of, a fact of Ranger life she knew had to exist but had never been witness to. Voluntary demorphing. Their uniforms sparkled to nothingness as quickly as they could appear, and three ordinary adults stood in their place. Three... almost ordinary adults.

She knew them. At least, she knew another Yellow Ranger who called herself "Ashley." And she had met the others, met herself, once before. It was still a shock to see her own face... to see her own face, period, but even more so when it was accompanied by what she now realized was a Ranger uniform. So they had come from Eltare's experimental transit after all. There was the possibility that this plan could actually work.

"How about this," Ashley was saying, watching her watch her double with an open if not friendly expression. "If you promise not to shoot us, we'll promise not to shoot you. Your friend either," she added, with a careful glance at the boy in her arms.

It was with some relief that she let him slide to the ground. He didn't show any inclination to sidle away from her, which was contrary to what little she had heard of children, but it was a good thing in light of the fact that she had no idea what he would do if he could. She put her hands on his shoulders, just in case he changed his mind, and she told Ashley firmly, "It's a deal."

Ashley glanced over at the man who had appeared in place of the Black Ranger. He had his hands behind his back, and there was a weapon in them--she didn't have to see it to know. It was in the way he was standing. He met Ashley's stare, saying nothing, clearly reserving the right to break the promise she had made for him.

Ashley looked away first. "What do you want from us?" she asked bluntly. Her eyes flickered to the slave boy before she glanced up again, a small frown on her face. "And why do you want to contact my counterpart?"

"I want to record a message here, with you watching, that you'll send through whatever channels you have available, to Ranger Ashley of the Free Systems in my own dimension." What was the easy part. How was more problematic. "I also want a ship that can return me to where I came from. And I want a future for this boy that doesn't involve slavery."

She hadn't planned to say that. Her intentions were very clear in her mind, having been repeated, rehearsed, re-examined from every angle she could think of. But the boy was a variable, an unexpected event that was rewriting her script. He was, as far as she was concerned, a weakness that would have been better ignored--but something in her couldn't do it.

It was clear that the Rangers had similar sentiments. "Slavery?" her own voice repeated in a dangerous tone that was all too familiar. "Where did he come from?"

"Where are his parents?" Ashley asked, failing to hide the solicitous glances she directed at the boy when she thought no one was looking. Ashley, it seemed, changed very little from one dimension to another.

"What kind of message?" Their male teammate was the only one focusing on the important part of her mission, so she directed her answer to him.

"The kind of message that would get me a knife in the back if I recorded it on the Dark Fortress," she informed him. "If I was lucky. Treason is a way of life in the monarchy, and our punishments have become very creative."

"So why are you here?" the woman-who-was-not-her wanted to know. "Why risk everything you've built for the chance that your enemy won't kill you as creatively as your allies?"

Ashley gave her teammate a quick look, but she didn't say anything.

She was pretty sure her double already knew the answer, and that the question itself was a kind of test. It wasn't one she appreciated. But she didn't doubt it was one she had to pass, so she forced down her pride and looked herself in the eye. "Because I'm tired of fighting for people who don't care," she said simply. She did her best not to waver when she added, "Ashley cared."

The woman who looked like her nodded once, as though she hadn't found the fastest way to get herself replaced, reprogrammed, or killed, and stated it aloud for anyone to hear. "We'll help you get a message to her," she said matter-of-factly.

"Andros is going to love this," the man muttered under his breath.

Andros?

The women ignored him. "Why don't you both come inside," Ashley suggested, her manner thawing by the second. She hadn't been that cold to start with.

And so it was that she found herself inside the massive structure she had given only passing consideration to from the outside: threat assessment, high; offensive capability, unknown. There was nothing about the interior that matched her expectations--nothing at all, other than its size. Far from the bastion of security and defense that logic told her it had to be, the building appeared to serve as little more than living space and possibly training center for a very small number of residents.

She tried not to be too interested. There were a lot of things she didn't need to know. She had already composed her message, and she recorded it under Ashley's supervision--and yes, she knew she was being supervised. She was surprised and maybe a little alarmed that she wasn't being guarded. What did they know that their Black Ranger bodyguard had felt comfortable putting his weapon away?

She had tried to leave immediately. They couldn't contact JT, not now, although someone just like him had answered their hail to Eltare. She had watched in fascination but stayed out of sight, certain her presence would only compromise an already improbable plan. Afterward, though, she had realized what was happening: she was starting to wonder. Wondering led to curiosity, and curiosity would mean that she cared. Crazy unlikely attempted plan or not, she needed to go back where she had come from.

She didn't leave. She hadn't been able to admit to herself how much she missed Ashley until she was confronted by her counterpart, and some wistful part of her pointed out that she might never experience this odd unconditional acceptance again. And so, against her better judgement, she allowed her departure to be delayed for a few minutes while the Rangers had some sort of refreshment.

It was a surreal feeling, to be seated in an overstuffed chair with a little boy huddled next to her, surrounded by Rangers and doing nothing more aggressive than sipping tea. Tea. When was the last time she'd had tea? The boy clutched an empty cup to his chest, having slurped the contents in seconds and now refusing to give up the vessel that had held the juice.

What was she going to do with him? Of course it hadn't occurred to her at the time, but now... she couldn't take him back with her. He would never survive. She could protect him for a little while, but not from everything and not for long. Sooner or later he would wind up dead. Or worse--back where he had started.

"Where did he come from?" Ashley asked gently. She looked up in surprise, half of her alarmed at having been so transparent and the other half suspicious of what her own Ashley had told her. "I don't know you, myself..." Then how could she read her so well?

They had obviously known each other for some time, in this dimension, if her counterpart had been willing to risk herself to save an Ashley she'd never met. And the Black Ranger, Ty... he had been there too. Her counterpart had lied when she said he wasn't a Ranger. She hadn't done a poor job of concealing her own identity, either.

Had that been choice, or necessity? She couldn't help wondering whether the Astronema of this dimension knew more of her past than she did. More than just what Ashley had told her... more than what she remembered, which was nothing. How could they trust her if she didn't? All she knew was what she had lived on the Dark Fortress.

Almost all she knew, she thought with an odd twinge as she looked down at the boy again. "He was on the ship." Where he shouldn't have been, a part of her mind added. Another part countered, Where he should still be.

"The ship that crashed?" Ashley prompted. "The one you were on?"

She didn't like being questioned. "It wasn't supposed to be a slave ship," she snapped. "He must have been left behind."

"It was good of you to rescue him," her counterpart said neutrally. She had introduced herself as "Kerone," but it was almost impossible to think of her that way.

She met her own gaze, certain she could see doubt lurking there. She wouldn't be fooled by a seemingly altruistic gesture. Her counterpart might wear a different uniform, but she had already proven that she knew Astronema all too well. "I shouldn't have done it," she told herself. "He won't have a chance in the monarchy. He would have been better off in the crash."

"No, he wouldn't." Ashley's reaction was immediate, predictable, and obviously restrained. The Yellow Ranger would rather jump to her feet in protest, exclaiming about life and justice and hope. It almost made her smile, seeing the reaction written so clearly in Ashley's expression. She restrained herself only for the sake of their company, the uncertainty that they all felt about who they were dealing with and what kind of response they might accidentally provoke.

"He's alive," Ashley added firmly. "He has the same chance as any of us, now."

"You're deluded if you think he has the same chance as a free person," she said flatly. "This isn't the Free Systems, Ashley. KO-35 is deep in the heart of the monarchy, with a thriving slave trade and a loss rate of sixty-five percent.

"He'd be worse off on the Dark Fortress," she continued, when Ashley seemed about to interrupt. "He's a child, and being associated with me will only make him more vulnerable. I control the Dark Fortress crew, but I don't control its traffic. And there are very few beings who wouldn't steal him in a second for having any connection to me."

No one said anything for a moment, and she felt a flash of disgust that they were so easy to intimidate. Did they know nothing of evil here, on this idyllic planet in the middle of unoccupied territory? Her eyes locked with an identical pair, a hazel stare that was full of anger and reproach. Her counterpart knew. Why the Purple Ranger couldn't be bothered to educate her teammates was beyond her.

Her tone echoing that same anger, fueled by a fierce envy to which she would never have admitted, she declared, "At least if he had crashed, he would have crashed here. He would have been allowed to simply die."

"We wouldn't have let him die!" Ashley exclaimed. Her restraint couldn't hold up in the face of what she must consider blatant "injustice." She was upset and no longer making any effort to hide it. "Why can't you just leave him here! Why does he have to go back at all?"

She stared at Ashley, assessing the others' reactions without moving. They were focused completely on her--not on Ashley's preposterous suggestion. Was she, then, supposed to treat it seriously?

"You would take him?" she asked carefully. Her fingers clenched, prepared to strike back at the first sign of derision.

"Of course we would!" Ashley didn't even consult her teammates. "Kerone, you must know what this planet is like--can you imagine anyone on KO-35 ever turning an orphaned child away? Let us place him with someone that will take care of him!"

The raw emotion was wearing her down. Not just from Ashley, but from all of them. The way they didn't control their expressions, the way they went from hostile to amused to trusting and back again without a single display of power to reinforce their distance. It grated on her nerves, making her feel wrung out from looking over her shoulder. This was not the sort of interaction she was used to.

"I wish you could place me," she blurted out. She was appalled by the words before she even finished speaking.

Again, Ashley went from vehement to welcoming in the blink of an eye. She didn't so much as hesitate. "You could stay here too, you know."

She saw her own counterpart exchange glances with the other Ranger. They, at least, knew how unlikely that was, and their wariness was more familiar than anything else. It helped her find her footing again. "I came here for a reason," she told Ashley sternly. "I can't stay."

Ashley just nodded, but something in her expression was... wistful?

She was imagining things, of course, oversensitive to concern now that she'd been exposed to it so abruptly. But she couldn't help adding, "Thank you." It was something they said in the Free Systems, she knew. "For him--" She glanced at the boy. "And for myself," she said more softly.

"Will you leave him with us?" Ashley repeated, her tone just as gentle as before.

She didn't know why she even paused. Taking him with her was no good option. "I will," she said aloud. "He will be better off."

She didn't realize that her counterpart was staring at her until she spoke. "You're not evil anymore, are you." The woman was matter-of-fact, as though she had already known and hadn't really needed it confirmed.

"No," she admitted, very quietly. It was a personal failing in many ways. "Not evil enough."

"But good enough," Ashley said with certainty. "You were always good, Kerone. That's not a bad thing."

Not for her, perhaps.

"Whether it is or not," she said with a sigh, "it is unquestionably a dangerous thing. I've risked more than my own life by coming here today. And if the Rangers of the Free Systems even consider my proposal, many more lives will be at stake."

She frowned then, looking from one to the other with something akin to suspicion. "It's a difficult thing, this caring."

Ashley smiled at that, apparently failing to take her seriously. "Yes it is," she agreed, too easily. "But that's what makes all this worth it."

Worth it. What was "worth it," exactly? Hours later, Kerone found herself still pondering those words. It was something she had said to TJ, once, that the meaning in life could be found in the caring. But the caring for what? What made the things that she cared about any more important than the things other people cared about?

She could hear someone coming even before Zhane's shadow flickered across the doorway. He tapped on the frame lightly, probably just to catch her attention but the boy in her arms jerked at the sound, hands clenching on her shirt as his eyes flew open. She remembered that paranoia all too well--she still felt it herself, sometimes. She hoped his fear would ease faster than hers had, overwhelmed by the hazy memory of youth.

"Sorry," Zhane offered, belated comprehension filling his voice as she did her best to calm the frightened child. "DECA told me where you were."

She glanced around the storage closet automatically. "He's scared of big spaces," she said, by way of explanation. She stroked his dirty hair carefully, watching him stare wide-eyed up at Zhane. "I think he feels more comfortable in here."

"Well," Zhane remarked, apparently addressing the boy. "You and I won't get along well at all."

She smiled a little. "When did you get back?"

"Just now." He was leaning on the doorframe, watching the child who clung to her. The boy was still staring back at him, and she wondered that he hadn't had the tendency to meet someone's gaze beaten out of him yet. How young did they start with slave children?

"DECA told us who was here earlier," Zhane was saying. He was looking at her now, she realized. "How are you doing?"

She glanced down at they boy again. "Distracted," she said truthfully. She didn't mean to shrug off his concern. She had spent more time thinking about the child that her double had brought with her than she had about Astronema herself.

"Yeah?" Zhane let the answer stand, which seemed to be his habit lately. At least with members of the team. Shifting his weight against the doorframe, he asked, "How did you end up on baby-sitting duty?"

"I volunteered." It was true, but the moment the words were out she reconsidered. "And I was the only one free. You and Andros were gone, Ashley's at the Center, and Ty's doing his flyby.

"It's good, though," she added as an afterthought. "Since I'm the only one he couldn't infect."

Zhane gave her a sharp look. "Infect? Infect with what?"

"DECA didn't tell you?" She didn't know why she asked; it was obvious that the AI hadn't. "He was carrying some kind of tactilely transmitted virus. He was immune to it, but DECA thought he'd be contagious until whatever she dosed his juice with worked its way through his system."

"How contagious?" Zhane hadn't moved, and his tone was more curious than anything else. Funny that he didn't seem to fear disease any more than she did.

"No physical contact for the first three hours," she said, staring down at the boy. "We figure he was probably in quarantine when Astronema found him. He should be safe enough to touch now, but whatever he was carrying was lethal to Eltarans and most of their subgroups. Including humans."

Zhane didn't answer for a moment, and finally she raised her eyes to meet his. He was frowning. "You don't think maybe that's why she brought him," he said at last, returning her gaze with a searching look of his own.

She shook her head. "We thought of that," she said quietly. "There's no way to know for sure, but nothing about the way she acted with him was consistent with his use as a weapon. She didn't encourage him to come to us. She didn't seem to want to leave him with us." Emotional reaction, she knew. That sort of thing could be feigned easily enough.

More practically, she added, "Besides, if she was going to deliberately infect a population, why start in such a remote location? Her cover story was dangerous in and of itself. She would have been better off dropping him in some city on Eltare and running."

"Not if the antidote was as easy as DECA drugging his juice," Zhane pointed out. "She might have known she couldn't start a plague, so she settled for attacking the Rangers of the most distant Border world in the hopes that it would start a chain reaction: the Rangers, the planet, the system, the Border."

"Her cover story being a bonus?" she suggested. "Assuming it actually gets back to JT, and he decides to do something about it? Any offensive launched by the Free Systems drains their resources until it's crushed by someone they were counting on as an ally?" She had been through it all in her mind before, and it was an ugly scenario. "It's possible."

Zhane was studying her. "But you don't think it's likely."

"No." And what did she base that on? Astronema's emotional reaction? Her sympathy for a person she could have been, had the circumstances been different? Ashley, at least, was perfectly willing to take Astronema's apparent defection at face value, but Kerone ought to know better. She knew the forces of evil and the way they worked in a way that Ashley did not.

"For one thing," she said slowly, "Astronema wouldn't bother attacking our dimension on her own. That kind of order would have to come from Dark Spectre. Dark Spectre wants me if he wants any of us, and she really seemed surprised to see me here."

Emotional reaction again. She had been spending too much time around Saryn if she was starting to trust her feelings about people after such a brief exposure. On the other hand, Astronema could simply have attacked her, kidnapped her by threatening the others, or tried any number of devious plans to neutralize Dark Spectre's former, alternate princess of evil. And she hadn't.

"If she's trying to get to the Free Systems and JT through us," she continued, "meaning that the virus was the bonus instead of the other way around? There's every reason for her to try to gain our trust, not to abuse it at the first opportunity. She wouldn't dare compromise the message she's trying to send."

Zhane gave her a half-smile that, for just a moment, looked exactly like Andros'. "Should have known you'd put more thought into it than I had. I can't say I'm not relieved."

She wasn't sure whether she should be grateful or disappointed that he found no fault with her reasoning. Grateful, because she had learned to depend on him to back her up when her thoughts went too fast for the others to follow. And disappointed at the same time, because it meant that if there was a problem after all, something she had overlooked, then it was still up to her to find it.

"So is he all right?" Zhane asked, nodding at the boy. "Some of those host-borne things aren't exactly benign."

"No," she agreed quietly, turning her attention back to the child in question. However he had arrived here, he was an innocent player in what was by any view a cruel game. "But this time it wasn't the virus' fault."

She knew Zhane didn't understand, but she was sorry to be the one to tell him. Easing her hand under the boy's elbow, she turned his arm a little to one side. Just enough that Zhane could see the harsh red needle pricks running up and down the vein underneath.

His jaw dropped. "What--" He didn't finish, just gave her an outraged look that conveyed the question better than words.

"DECA says he has a natural immunity," she said softly. "I think they must have been using him to make a vaccine."

"For the entire crew?" Zhane demanded. "Is that why he was quarantined? They didn't bother to cure him because they needed his antibodies to vaccinate themselves?"

"I doubt they were vaccinating the crew," she said with a sigh. "They could sell it anywhere they went, as long as there was an outbreak, and make some money on the side."

She didn't say it, but Zhane heard the words anyway. "And they could use him to make sure there was an outbreak," he said grimly. "What kind of people would do something like that?"

"The kind of people who transport slaves," she reminded him. "The kind that keep a child in isolation because it would be a waste of profit to vaccinate their own crew. I'm sure his wasn't the first blood to be sacrificed on that ship."

Like the words she hadn't said, he heard the bitterness she tried to hide. His voice softened as he answered, "Maybe the first blood to be saved, though."

She looked up in surprise. "Did you--" DECA had told him, she remembered. He had mentioned Astronema's "cover story." Was he, then, commenting on her plan, or just being poetic? "Do you think it'll work?"

He understood without her having to explain. "Yes," he said simply.

She looked at him more closely, mindful of the boy in her arms. "What do you mean, yes? Just yes?"

He grinned at her. "You asked what I thought and I told you. Yes, I think it will work."

"Astronema's plan?" she repeated. "To rebel against Dark Spectre and support the Free Systems?"

"Do you think it will work?" he countered.

"I think it's crazy," she informed him. "She doesn't have any kind of army beyond what's on the Dark Fortress, and if she wanted to do good with it she'd take it to the Free Systems right now. What's the point in trying to stretch their resources all the way out to the Border based on the improbable hope that she can incite some kind of controlled mutiny?"

"Is that a no?" Zhane inquired, amusement on his face and in his voice.

"That's the safest thing to do!" she exclaimed. "It increases the strength of the Free Systems in direct proportion to the loss of monarchy forces! The Dark Fortress survives and the Free Systems lose nothing--what's bad about that?"

"What's good about it?" Zhane prodded. "In comparison to the liberation of millions of people, the end of the Kerovan slave trade, and the doubling of space controlled by the Free Systems?"

"The possibility of those things," she corrected. "The possibility and the reality are completely different things. The certainty of the Dark Fortress' contribution if she joins the Free Systems now has to be worth more than the tiny chance they have of forging some sort of rebel alliance with the Border."

"Hey," Zhane said gently. He smiled to show he was teasing, but she could see genuine curiosity in his eyes. "Since when do you vote for playing it safe?"

She opened her mouth, but when he put it like that she had no immediate reply. Finally she just shook her head, frowning at the shelving on the opposite wall. "Maybe I've seen Rangers make miracles happen a few too many times," she murmured. "I can't help thinking... I guess I feel like it has to end sometime."

Zhane didn't move. "Because it did for you?"

She was startled into looking at him. "What?"

"I think," he said carefully, "sometimes, I think that you believe in events, in circumstances, more than you believe in people. Not that that's a bad thing. It's just--"

He hesitated, then continued, "Remember, once, when you were talking about how unlikely it was that we met the way we did? You thought it was coincidence, random chance that things turned out like this... and maybe it was. But I like to think that we made it this way."

"We did," she allowed, frowning again. "We chose to be where we are now. But we made that choice... we made it based on things that had happened. The circumstances that we found ourselves in."

"And I think we would have made the same choices no matter what the circumstances," Zhane told her. "Maybe we would have made them differently, but we still would have made them. Look at Astronema, choosing to defect in her dimension just like you did in ours.

"Actually," he said with a rueful shrug, "look at all the Rangers in the Free Systems. Look at the way their choices mirror ours--or ours have mirrored theirs. Our circumstances are different, but we're still the same people. And in the end we make the same choices."

It didn't really matter whether she believed that or not. "That doesn't mean things turn out the same way," she pointed out. "Even if we want the same things, we don't necessarily get them. Or at least," she added when he seemed about to interrupt, "we don't get them in the same way."

"No," he said slowly. "Not the same way. But... Astrea, bad things don't happen just because good things happen. I mean, they're not caused by good things. Good things are sometimes hard and bad things can be easy, that part balances, but there's no... punishment, for being happy."

She didn't answer. Was that what she thought? That good things inevitably soured? That lucky streaks invited misfortune? "I don't know," she murmured. "Sometimes it seems like a lot of the good things that happened to me went bad, somehow."

"Or maybe a lot of the bad things turned good," Zhane insisted. "I think it's all in how you look at it. Nothing stays the same, but that doesn't mean that good things don't last. It just means they change. That's true of good and bad. Losing one thing just means that something else takes its place... I think it's just what we choose that makes the change good or bad."

Without altering his tone in the slightest, he had tipped his chin down and cast a significant glance at her armful. She followed his gaze automatically, smiling a little at the boy's closed eyes and slowly relaxing fingers. Would Astronema's effort turn out to be a good change, then? Could it? Despite what had to be the conflicting motives and desires of everyone involved?

"Whose choices are the most important?" she asked quietly. "What if one person chooses one thing and someone else chooses something different--something that conflicts with the first person's choice?" The perfect example sprang to mind, but she wouldn't say it: what about you and Ashley?

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "All I know is that we won't get what we want until we take responsibility for our choices. I think maybe Astronema's doing that. I just hope that what she wants is what she says she wants."

She looked up in surprise. "Now you're not sure?" she prompted, searching his expression.

He smiled. "I never said I was sure. I just told you what I think."

He wasn't sure? He had almost convinced her. If that was true, then maybe she was more certain of what he thought than he was. And she didn't think she was the only one. "Andros would start a war based on what you think," she said abruptly.

He actually rolled his eyes at that. "Andros would start a war over a lot of things," he said dryly. "That doesn't mean they're worth it."

"No--Zhane, I'm serious." She contemplated the idea, intrigued by what he had called "mirroring." "What if you got Andros to help convince JT that Astronema's plan is worth considering? You could end up supporting Astronema in their dimension just the way you supported me here."

Zhane was frowning at her. "What do I have to do with any of this?" he wanted to know. "It's none of my business. I don't know what they're going through and I'm not about to tell them what to do."

Impatient, she shook her head. "No, I wasn't saying you would. I was just--thinking out loud. It's strange, isn't it? It's funny how things work out."

"I would have said, it's funny how we end up in the same places no matter how things work out," Zhane responded, his tone lighter now. "But either way, I don't have anything to do with that dimension. I believe in the good in everyone, Astrea, but I don't force anyone else to believe with me. That's their choice."

"I know," she said quickly. Maybe too quickly. Did he think she was accusing him of something? "You believed in me... I don't know if I ever thanked you for that."

"You did." He was smiling now, and she relaxed incrementally. "I thought that was nice of you."

The boy in her arms twitched when she moved, and she tried to resettle herself without disturbing him. It wasn't possible. He was sitting on the floor next to her and had started out leaning against her side, snuggled under her arm. By now he was sprawled across her lap, supported by both her arms and squirming uncomfortably when she shifted. She sighed without meaning to. They'd been in here a long time.

"You want some help getting him cleaned up?" Zhane offered, nodding at the boy. "DECA could probably make him something else to wear. Or do you want to just let him sleep?"

"He's been sleeping," she said with a sigh. "But we tried to get him to change his clothes before." She looked over at the small clothes folded on top of one of the shelves and saw Zhane follow her gaze. "He won't do it. And he won't wash up at all--he started shrieking the second he saw water."

They had all been taken aback by the boy's reaction, but Zhane didn't so much as blink. "Well," he told the child amiably, "it looks we have something in common after all. I'm not a big fan of water myself... but it does have its uses."

The boy didn't move, apparently sleeping right through their conversation. Zhane caught her eye again. "Did you try a sponge bath?"

"We didn't dare," she admitted. "Not after the way he screamed at the water in the sink. Maybe he's calm enough now, though..." She eyed him dubiously. "If he didn't have to see the water beforehand?"

Zhane shrugged. "It's worth a try. I'll go get a towel." He straightened up, but he didn't move while she tried to rouse the sleeping boy. Unspoken was the understanding that if she wanted Zhane's help it would have to be somewhere other than the cramped storage closet.

The boy didn't startle this time, just pushed against her side and struggled to sit up before he'd even opened his eyes. He braced himself against her as he looked around, gaze going to her when she asked gently, "Can you get up for a little while? You can sleep somewhere more comfortable, if you'd like."

She couldn't tell if he understood what she was saying, but he allowed her to tug him to his feet when she stood. Probably used to being dragged around, she thought sadly. She hated to be just another in a long line of people telling him what to do. On the other hand, he couldn't take care of himself, and if they couldn't communicate with him they couldn't reason with him either.

Zhane stepped aside as they made their way out into the brighter light of the hangar. The boy clutched her hand nervously, but he stuck close to her while she led him toward the living area. Zhane walked slowly along on the boy's other side--maybe reassuring, maybe intimidating. She really couldn't tell from the boy's reaction.

The kitchen alcove was too easy to observe from the living area, so they settled in the library that buffered Kristet's workspace. Their media liaison had long since commandeered the monitor underneath the stairs for her own use, and finally Ashley had taken her shopping so she could have a more practical setup. A chair, for instance, and a place to put her myriad cameras when she wasn't using them. A holographic bulletin board with all of their schedules on it. A desk. Several of Ty's plants.

Andros was leaning over her shoulder now. He interrupted her more than any of the rest of them combined, though his interference seemed to be waning lately. Kristet had actually had to call him to look at something the day before. The fact that he had left her alone long enough for her to finish something without his input was something of a first. Apparently, though, it wasn't going to be something that occurred with immediate frequency.

Zhane was returning from the kitchen by the time Andros turned around, the Red Ranger's gaze going from her to Zhane and back to her again. Or more accurately, she thought, to her and the boy with her. "How's he doing?"

"Dirty," Zhane put in, dropping several towels casually on the floor near the bookshelves. She noticed that he was careful to move into the boy's line of sight before he spoke, apparently having learned his lesson from the knock on the door.

"Scared," Kerone added. "He still hasn't said anything, but he did manage to fall asleep for a while." She paused, then amended, "Until Zhane heartlessly decided that he needed to be clean more than he needs rest."

"Hey, I was only thinking of you," Zhane informed her. His wink made her smile, and she rested her hand against the boy's head as Zhane transferred his gaze to him again. "So, what do you say? Want to let me wipe some of that dirt off?"

Zhane's voice didn't soften perceptibly when he was talking to the boy. Zhane talked to him as though he was talking to her, seemingly untroubled when he got no reply. But he reached for the boy's arm slowly, careful to touch first and hold on second. Turning one grubby arm over, he watched the boy's face as he rubbed the towel down the outside of his arm. The boy just stared back at him, not flinching even when Zhane shifted the towel and took a gentle swipe down the inside of his thoroughly bruised arm.

She didn't dare say anything, but she glanced over at Andros. He was watching just as intently as she was. Even Kristet had turned away from the monitor, anguish written across her expressive face as she caught her first glimpse of Astronema's rescued slave child. Zhane just continued wiping away layers of grime with a damp towel, careful of the boy's arms but perfectly calm.

Kerone wondered, privately, whether he would be so confident if he had seen the fit the boy had thrown the first time they tried to get him to wash. Of course, she had been the only one who could touch him then, but short of holding him down and dousing him with water, the situation had seemed impossible. Yet here was Zhane, picking up a clean towel and cheerfully telling the boy to smile.

"We'll just wash your face off a little," he was telling the boy. "And maybe get some of that stuff out of your hair, okay? You sure you don't want to try some clean clothes?"

The boy clamped his arms across his chest when Zhane gave his shirt a tug. Otherwise though, he allowed the improvised "bath," even up to the ruffling of his hair with another damp towel. When Zhane ran out of clean towels and exposed skin, he sat back on his heels and studied the boy for a minute.

"Hey," he said with a grin. "What do you know? There was a kid under there!"

"And he's not grey," Andros added. "That should make him easier to identify."

"Do you think DECA will be flattered by the idea that a little dirt could fool her scanners?" Kristet murmured, the words barely audible from where Kerone was.

"Well, she didn't find anything," Andros replied, in a normal tone of voice.

It was practically a challenge, and DECA didn't bother to ignore it. Her hologram shimmered into existence beside the stairs. "The lack of imaging and historic correlation with Kerovan records is more likely due to his extradimensional origin," she informed them all. "Not to any failing on the part of my data processing ability."

The boy's head turned quickly the moment she spoke, and Kerone rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "You mean you haven't been able to find a counterpart for him here?"

"It is not so surprising," DECA replied. "There is no reason to think that each individual has a counterpart in every accessible dimension. In fact, current studies suggest that the frequent reports of such instances are based on the attraction of the counterparts themselves, rather than the prevalence of corresponding counterparts throughout the dimensions. Since he was brought through the dimensional portal by someone else, the probability of him encountering a counterpart here is greatly reduced."

There was a pause, during which Zhane pivoted on his heel to stare at the holographic representation of the Megaship's computer system. "Was that," he inquired very politely, "supposed to be a 'no'?"

DECA's gaze appeared to consider him in return. "I have not been able to locate a counterpart, or indeed, any individuals with genetic or social connections to this boy." She paused herself, just long enough to emphasize her last word. "No."

"So he's on his own," Kerone murmured.

"He's not the only one," Andros reminded her. "There are plenty of people who'll be willing to help him."

Zhane glanced over at him, and she didn't miss the look that passed between the two of them. Both orphans, in their own way. Both with a family now that was as solid as any they might have had if they had grown up with their biological parents...

And her? She, too, had been taken in. By someone who cared for her even when he shouldn't, who made sure that she got what she needed to survive when no one else would. And somehow, that memory made her speak up now.

"Not yet," she said, lifting her head. "I think he should stay with us for a few days, first."

"Me too," Zhane agreed. His response was as immediate as it was unexpected. "We know what he's been through... or at least, we can imagine it. He jumps at everything. He screams at the sight of water. Who know what else he'll react to? I think someone needs to know what kind of shape he's in before he goes anywhere."

Andros didn't look convinced. "Zhane... none of us are child psychologists. What can we do for him that someone who deals with this kind of thing every day can't?"

"No one deals with this every day." Kristet's interjection was heartfelt and not at all hesitant. "Believe me when I say that the system is geared toward average variation, not the extremes. One person who really cares can do just as much as a whole panel of counselors."

"It's not like we're going to raise him," Zhane pointed out, though his eyes flicked to Kristet in brief acknowledgement of her point. She was the only one who had grown up in the institutions they were talking about, and Kerone knew that Andros had listened to her whether he seemed to or not. "It's only for a few days."

"Besides," Zhane added. "We never had counselors growing up. Neither did Astrea. We all turned out okay... right?"

The innocent tone of his voice didn't deter the wry look that Andros sent his way. Zhane would win, of course. But not by pointing to the three of them as an example.

2. Power Theory

"Recognition signal confirmed," a human voice said over the comm. "Welcome to the Kerova system, Mega V4."

"Thanks," Karen answered, hoping they couldn't hear her grin. Her longest solo spaceflight, and she had managed to arrive in a reasonable amount of time and still in one piece. She was doing pretty well so far.

Now if she could just find the Rangers, she'd be doing even better.

"Requesting your approach vector, Mega V4." The voice spoke after a brief hesitation, as though it had expected her to volunteer something already. The prompt was probably a good thing, since she wouldn't have given them anything if they hadn't asked, but it was also bad, because she had no idea what they wanted.

She muted the comm and gave the starboard screen a helpless glance. "KERI? What's my approach vector?"

"Incoming planetary vector is plus seven by 45," the AI replied immediately. "Keyota approach from orbit, vector to be supplied by local traffic authorities. I have relayed the information to System Control," she added.

"Thanks," Karen said gratefully. The Mega Voyager's computer had coached her through the journey from Earth to KO-35, and KERI had promised to follow her to the planet below. As far as Karen understood, the AI could--and regularly did--split her awareness between each of the Mega V zords. That was what let her be on Earth, and hours from Earth at the same time.

It didn't make any sense, but then, that was typical of anything that involved the Power.

"System Control to Mega V4," the comm announced. "You are confirmed for planetary approach to KO-35. Orbital station 33 will authorize your descent to the surface."

"Acknowledged, System Control." She pressed her lips together, trying to stifle another grin. This was easily the most fun she'd had since visiting Elisia three months ago. Going to Aquitar just wasn't the same--everyone there knew them, and Carlos took care of anything that the Rangers there didn't arrange in advance. There was nothing to do.

Now she got to talk to system authorities, computers, orbiting platforms... she wasn't totally sure what all of it meant, but that didn't take any of the fun out of it. Most of the people who hailed her seemed to know what she was doing better than she did, and she had KERI to help her out when she was completely lost. She also had a Ranger insignia painted on the side of her zord. Carlos had told her it would cut down on a lot of the typical in-system bureaucracy.

Since she had no idea what typical in-system bureaucracy was, she couldn't say whether it was helping or not. But she had to admit that piloting a zord between galaxies was ridiculously easy. Whether that was due to KERI's assistance, her own Power-enhanced control, or the deference of traffic authorities, she guessed it didn't really matter. She was here.

The orbital station must have opened a direct datafeed to KERI, because a few minutes later the AI announced, "You're cleared for a Keyota approach. The vector provided by air traffic control is available now."

That, she knew what to do with. She could program an autonav with the best of them, especially when the route, velocity, and destination coordinates had been supplied for her. Karen watched the blue-green planet below her engulf the forward screen and then begin to glow, turning brightly orange and cherry red as the flames of re-entry surrounded her zord. By the time they faded, the screen showed only clouds, misty wisps of nearby fog and towering columns of far-off weather and blue sky in between.

The stars were gone.

She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she watched the clouds rise to meet her and then flash past, revealing patchy cover below. She caught glimpses of the surface as her zord descended, green and brown stretches of land that glittered with the occasional reflection of sun off of a liquid surface. She could make out structures as the ground came closer and closer, everything in sight expanding as she watched.

Only after it was gone did she realize she must have been seeing a city. The buildings here must be houses, residences scattered through the foothills with their tiny vehicles nearby and what didn't look like nearly enough roads for all of them. She was so close to the ground now that she thought she would be able to see people, if there were any outside, and she gave the instruments an uneasy glance.

Still on course. No problems that she could see. She looked down at the tactical screen, where her destination was glowing brightly at the end of her projected flight path, and she was surprised to realize she was almost on top of it. Ashley had warned her that they lived in the middle of nowhere, but--

No roads. The hangar was nestled into the ground, set high enough that it overlooked the valley without changing the outline of the hills against the sky. And it was completely isolated. It grew, stretching higher until she had to lean forward to see the entire thing as her zord approached, and there was just nothing to compare it to. It was the only thing for miles around.

It wasn't the first time she'd been nervous since leaving Earth. Mostly, the nerves were overwhelmed by excitement, but it wasn't lost on her that she was traveling to a totally foreign environment with very little idea of what to expect. She shook her head as her zord set down, eyeing the imposing zord bay half-buried in the side of a mountain. Someday, she was going to walk into something too big to handle.

The arrival indicator chimed, and she suppressed another grin as the zord settled itself more solidly on the ground outside the Kerovan hangar. Someday, maybe. But not today. Today she was here by invitation. Anything could happen... and she was going to make sure it did.

She started the APD sequence and stood up, squinting at movement from the front of the hangar as she was about to turn. Someone was coming out of a tiny door down on the right side of the metal facade, and it had to be Ashley because she was wearing Karen's color. "KERI, flash the lights at her, would you?"

"Acknowledged," the AI's voice said, with a hint of amusement. She didn't protest the request, though, and Karen shrugged into her backpack. Reaching for her duffel bag, she took a last look around the cockpit.

"Thanks for the ride, V4. And thanks for the help, KERI."

The starboard screen lit up with KERI's youthful face, and the girl's image smiled back at her. "You're welcome, Karen."

"See you," Karen said cheerfully. She triggered the short-range teleport that would eject her from the zord, and she lifted her face the moment she felt sunlight on her skin. Kerovan sunlight. It was, quite literally, another world.

"Hi Karen!" Ashley called out to her from the direction of the hangar, and she lowered her head and opened her eyes. The other Yellow Ranger was running toward her, long hair flying behind her and no pretense at dignity in her welcome.

Karen laughed, dropping her duffel bag on the ground and flinging her arms wide. Ashley embraced her without hesitation, rocking them both with the force of her hug as she pressed her chin against Karen's shoulder. "Hi Ashley," Karen said, laughter still bubbling up in her voice. "How's it going?"

"Oh, it's been crazy," Ashley exclaimed, squeezing her harder before she let go. "You're walking into chaos! Are you ready? How was the trip? You didn't have any trouble getting down here, did you? KO-35's been kind of suspicious of outsystem ships lately, but we told them you were coming."

"That explains it," Karen said, rolling her eyes. "I thought they were awfully nice to me. Hey, I can take that--"

Ashley had picked up her duffel bag and swung it over her shoulders, and she waved away Karen's protest. "Don't be silly! I've got it, and wait till you see the stairs inside. It's a long way up."

"It looks huge," Karen declared. "Do you have a map of the inside so you don't get lost? Oh, and should I leave my zord where it is? I can move it if it's in the way."

"No, it's fine there." Ashley didn't even look over her shoulder. "Our zords stay outside a lot now that the weather's nicer, so yours'll have company. It could probably fit in the hangar, if it has to, but it's not in anyone's way. We have so much space we don't know what to do with it!"

"You weren't kidding when you said it was the middle of nowhere!" Karen agreed, glancing around. "There aren't even any roads! Do you teleport everywhere?"

Ashley laughed at that. "Kerone does! The rest of us only do it when we want to make a scene. Around the corner, there, we have our own parking lot..." She linked her arm through Karen's and tugged her off course enough that she could see the collection of vehicles.

"Andros and Zhane have their own hovers," Ashley explained. "Kerone shares mine when she actually drives, which isn't very often--I'll teach you if you want and you can use it too. Ty has a jetcycle. And Kristet parks her hover over there when she's here, which is most of the time."

"Okay, I met Ty, but I have no idea who Kristet is," Karen told her. They were heading for the same little door that Ashley had come out of, and as they got closer she realized that it really was a normal-sized door. It was just dwarfed by the exterior of the hangar.

"That won't last," Ashley predicted. "She's very present. Kristet's our media liaison. She sets up most of the press conferences, photo ops, text releases, all the public relations stuff. She used to do news and vid editing for us too, but she doesn't have much time for it anymore."

Karen didn't know whether to laugh or stare at her. "You have a full-time public relations agent?"

"Well, we let her go home at the end of the day." Ashley glanced sideways at her, and her deadpan expression dissolved into a giggle. "Yeah, isn't it crazy? Her whole job is to tell people what we're doing!"

Karen shook her head. "Think of all the trouble we go to on Earth to make sure people don't know what we're doing! No thanks to Carlos," she added as an afterthought.

"You're all friends of the guy who's dating an Aquitian, huh?" Ashley paused in front of the door and held up her digimorpher. "The door's locked all the time, but DECA knows you're here and your morpher should open the door just like ours. You want to try it to make sure?"

"Yeah, definitely." Karen eased forward, lifting her left arm and staring at the door. "What do I do?"

"Just hold it over here, in front of the scanner." Ashley pointed at a nondescript silver plate, and Karen waved her morpher at it obediently. The door slid open without hesitation.

"So DECA controls the hangar, too?" Karen guessed. "Not just the Megaship?"

"She controls it the same way she controls the Megaship," Ashley offered, swinging the duffel bag in front of her and leading the way inside. "She doesn't have to, she just can. There are manual controls for everything, but she does a lot of the programming and when she's here she tends to take over."

"She's not always here?" Karen asked curiously. "Does she stay on the Megaship sometimes?"

"Sometimes," Ashley agreed. "Or someone will take the Megaship and she'll go with them. Or sometimes she's just busy and we won't see her for hours. If you want to drop your stuff by the stairs, I'll show you around down here first?"

It came out as a question, and Karen nodded eagerly. The hangar was just as big as it looked from the outside, but less confusing since it was almost entirely open. She didn't know why she had expected that it wouldn't be--it was meant for the zords, after all.

Only two of the zords were there now, and they took up so much room that she wondered they could all fit in at once. A large, cat-like shape sprawled across the floor, gold accents marking it as Ashley's, and a second cat-shape lay beside it, red ears swiveling upright as the eyes opened to regard her. It was a disturbingly aware gaze. Since when did zords have eyes, anyway?

"That's Dawn and Fire," Ashley was saying. "Fire's the one looking at you now. Dawn's a little more trusting.

"Fire," she added, apparently addressing the zord. "This is Karen, from my home planet. She's going to stay here for a while."

The zord continued to regard her for a moment. Then the eyes slid shut again, but the ears remained up. Karen got the eerie impression that not only had it understood what Ashley said, but it was also continuing to monitor their conversation.

"Those are your zords?" she asked quietly, more to express her surprise then to actually get an answer. "They act... alive."

Far from laughing, Ashley only nodded. "We treat them like they are," she said seriously. "I don't know if they actually meet any scientific standard for being alive or not, but they act on their own and they respond when we talk to them, so we treat them like they can understand us."

Karen continued to watch the zords. "I'll remember that," she said slowly. Neither zord gave any indication that it had heard her.

She heard Ashley set her duffel bag down and she turned, belatedly shrugging out of her backpack and dropping it beside her bag. "That's the catwalk," Ashley was saying, pointing up the stairs toward the far wall. "There's stairs on the other side of the hangar too, but we use these more because they're closer to the door. All our rooms are up there, along with a couple of workbays and some storage."

"You sleep upstairs?" Karen stared up at the catwalk for a long moment. "No sleepwalking, huh?"

It made Ashley giggle. "I used to be scared of getting up in the middle of the night," she confessed, following Karen's gaze. "I kept a flashlight next to my bed for weeks. But you get used to it, and now it just seems normal."

"Can I borrow your flashlight?" Karen asked with a grin.

"Remind me and it's yours," Ashley promised. "We'll go shopping later, anyway, and you can get whatever you want. Zhane and I set up a room for you, but you'll want your own stuff, I'm sure."

She had started to walk around the stairs, and as Karen followed she wondered, "Is this one of those times when Rangers don't have to pay for what they need?"

"That's pretty much all the time, here," Ashley confided. "It's just like Aquitar that way. You don't have to worry. It takes some getting used to, but everyone's really nice about it.

"This is Kristet's office," she added, sweeping an arm around the space on the other side of the stairs. "Or as close as she gets to one--we offered to set her up in one of the workbays, but she says she likes being near the door. I think she just likes to keep an eye on us, to tell the truth."

"Your public relations agent?" Karen studied the bulletin board next to the comm station. "Are those your schedules? You guys are busy."

"Well, it's not all work." Ashley peered over her shoulder. "She has all our stuff on there so she can find us if she needs to. She doesn't remember things very well. Oh, I should probably warn you that she records everything."

Karen gave her an odd look. "Everything, everything?"

"Everything," Ashley emphasized. "Everything you say or do around her gets recorded. She's really good about keeping public and private stuff separate--she actually has separate cameras for reporting, and she won't use them without asking first--but it's a little strange at first.

"She doesn't remember very well," she repeated. "So she likes to make sure she doesn't miss anything. She's nice; we'll introduce you when she comes back this afternoon."

Karen couldn't think of anything polite to say to that, so she asked instead, "Where is she?"

"She's at the Council meeting with Andros. Kinwon is a little easier to deal with when there's a camera running, so she goes whenever she can."

Ashley was already moving on, waving at the nearby bookshelves idly. "We call this part the library, but it's basically just a good place to be in the middle of things without getting in the way. We eat over here--let me show you the kitchen, too, so you can find food when you want it."

It was amazing how finished the far side of the hangar was, Karen thought, looking around. It looked almost like a regular house with no walls... and a really big garage. For giant, mechanical cats. "This is nice," she said, as Ashley led her through a sitting area with a low table in the middle.

"Thanks," Ashley tossed over her shoulder. "We had to let quantrons tear it apart before Andros agreed to let us decorate, but he finally gave in and I think it came out okay. Kristet and I did some designing, and Kerone helped us move furniture until we got it right. The guys pretty much stayed out of the way."

"Don't they always," Karen said dryly. "You did a good job. This is the kitchen?"

"Mm-hmm." Ashley leaned up against the sink and pointed things out. "Stasis, stove, dishes and silverware, refrigerator equivalent, and there are more dishes in there. Mostly cooking stuff that half of us don't use."

"Count me in that half," Karen agreed, and Ashley smiled.

"Ty cooks a lot," she offered. "And he's actually been teaching Zhane, which is sort of scary but we try not to tease him too much because we could use another person who knows what they're doing in the kitchen. Andros and I just eat whatever's easy."

"Sounds like me," Karen admitted cheerfully. "Easy food was invented for a reason!"

"See, Ty says that, and then he goes and spends half an hour on breakfast!" Ashley wrinkled her nose with an expression that was more amused than anything else. "I guess everyone's definition of 'easy' is different."

"No preparation," Karen remarked, and Ashley laughed.

"That's right! We'll have to go grocery shopping together," Ashley told her. "We know what the good stuff is."

The sound of a door made her look over her shoulder, and Ashley followed her gaze. "That's another thing," Ashley said, and it took Karen a moment to realize that it was the front door she'd heard. From all the way at the back of the hangar. "You can hear everything in here. That's probably why Kristet likes the space under the stairs. There's no privacy unless you go somewhere with a door."

"Note to self," Karen remarked, catching sight of Zhane through the door and someone in black behind him. Ty, she realized a second later. "Don't say anything you don't want everyone overhearing."

"That's good advice," Ashley agreed. She raised her voice, but she didn't have to shout to get their attention. "Hi guys!"

"Hey, it's two Yellow Rangers in one place!" Zhane bounded across the hangar, Ty trailing more sedately behind him as he imitated Ashley's welcome. "Welcome to Cat Central!"

Karen found herself on the receiving end of a hug she hadn't quite expected but didn't mind at all. "Hi Zhane," she said, hugging him back. "Don't tell me you were doing actual work this morning!"

Zhane gasped, drawing back with a look of mock-horror. "Karen!" He kept his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "I'm shocked that you would think so little of me. People have been telling you stories!"

"Yeah, he let me do all the real work," Ty put in, coming up behind them with an amused look. "Hi, Karen. Good to see you again."

She smiled at him as Zhane let her go. "You too. You have the color I wanted, you know."

Ty looked down in surprise, but Zhane just laughed. "You should go on your own quest," he confided, stepping back and holding out his hand to Ashley. "You get to choose your color. Much better than getting the morpher passed on to you.

"Hey, Ash," he added, taking her hand and giving her a quick kiss. Karen blinked and looked again, wondering whether she had really just seen that. Had she been missing out on the gossip? Or was it just some kind of Kerovan custom no one had told her about?

"I hope you didn't make Karen think I work or anything," Zhane was saying. "She's going to expect me to do something around here."

"No one expects that," Ashley said with a laugh. "We just keep you around for your charm and good looks."

Zhane let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "My reputation is safe!"

"If you can call it that," Ty said dryly.

"Hey!" Zhane looked indignant. "We can't all be scientific geniuses! I'm just working with my strengths, that's all."

"I'm not a genius," Ty protested, shooting a look in Karen's direction. "Don't listen to him," he advised. "He makes theater a daily production."

"And genetic manipulation is your hobby," Zhane interjected, not bothering to deny the theater accusation. "I think you can take credit for something more than our typical intelligence.

"Did you get a tour?" he added, the question clearly directed at her. "Did we interrupt?"

"I was just showing her around the hangar." Ashley sounded more amused than anything, her tone mirroring Ty's expression. Karen didn't know where the look came from--they lived with Zhane, so they must be used to him by now? She'd never known him to be anything other than overdramatic and endearing.

"Well, that's boring," Zhane commented. "Kitchen, workout area, you're done. Want us to take your stuff upstairs for you?"

Ashley rolled her eyes at Zhane's summary. "Thanks, Zhane, you really sped that up. If you take Karen's stuff upstairs, we'll be up in a few minutes."

"I can carry that stuff," Karen protested, but Zhane was already backing away.

"Nope, we got it," he said cheerfully. "We'll leave it outside your door. Carry on!"

Ty smiled as he turned to follow Zhane, and when Karen glanced back at Ashley she found her smiling too. But all she said was, "Might as well put them to work. It gives them something to do."

"Where were they this morning?" Karen wanted to know.

"Over on RS-42." Ashley must have seen her expression, because she added, "KO-35's sister planet. It was abandoned for years, but we have a military base and a KPD station over there now. There are civilians that want to go back too, and there are a lot of logistics to work out before anyone can live there permanently again. Zhane's been running the defense effort."

Karen didn't understand more than half of that, but she did come away with a totally contrary impression to the one Zhane had projected. "So, Zhane's not leaving all the work to Ty after all?" she guessed.

Ashley laughed. "No, Ty doesn't like that kind of tactical strategy stuff. And don't let Zhane fool you--he pretends he's all fluffy and harmless, but he works as hard as anyone else. He's taken over a lot of the press conferences lately, and even the media is starting to realize how serious he is."

"Lies!" Zhane's voice echoed down from above, and Karen looked up in surprise. The catwalk stretched several levels above, and she couldn't see anything but the supporting struts from here. But Zhane could clearly hear them. "It's all lies, Karen!"

Ashley pointed upward with a smile. "See? No privacy."

"Privacy is for cowards," Zhane called back. "We don't need privacy around here!"

Ashley just shook her head. "And over here," she said, ignoring him, "is the practice area. We like having it close to the kitchen because then we can snack while Andros lectures us."

From above, Karen heard Zhane laugh, and Ashley finally gave in and shouted up at him. "Go away, Zhane! This is a private tour!"

"Then you're in the wrong building!" was the reply.

Ashley sighed, turning a resigned look on Karen. "How would you like to see the upstairs now?"

Karen grinned at her expression. "Sounds great to me.

"Hey," she added, following Ashley around the practice mats to the stairs she said they didn't use. "Am I totally disrupting your day, here? You're not skipping anything to show me around, are you?"

"You're not disrupting anything," Ashley assured her. "I was just going to go to the Council meeting with Andros, and believe me, I'd much rather be here with you. We're all taking the afternoon off, so you'll get to see everyone at once. I thought we could go out to dinner tonight, if you feel like it."

"I'd like that," Karen agreed, delighted. Seeing the practice mats from above as they climbed the stairs, she suddenly realized why they looked so eclectic. "The mats are your Ranger colors, aren't they."

"Yes," Ashley said with a laugh. "We're obsessed. Wait till you see our rooms, they're just as bad. You'd think we'd get so tired of wearing the same color all the time that we'd decorate with different ones, but no... it doesn't work that way."

"I know!" Karen exclaimed. "It's the same with us! This is why I wanted Carlos' color, because most of my stuff was black before. Now I wear crazy amounts of yellow, and between me and Tessa, our dorm room on campus looks like a dollhouse. It's terrible."

"But you like it, right?" It wasn't really a question. "I never really liked yellow either until I became a Ranger. My favorite color was blue! But now, yellow just makes me feel better. I know it's a Ranger thing, but it still matters."

"Yeah," Karen admitted. "I know what you mean. At first I just had this yellow bracelet, so I could wear whatever clothes I wanted, but now I think half my shirts are yellow and I actually wear them more than anything else."

"I don't think I wear anything that isn't yellow," Ashley confessed. "I mean, some stuff, yes, but not whole outfits. It's funny," she added, with a small smile, "but all Kristet wears now is blue and green. And white. She's sort of picked up our color awareness in reverse."

"She would," Karen decided after a moment. "Have you ever noticed that Rangers who are dating other Rangers wear both their colors? Kristet probably doesn't want to look like she's too involved."

Ashley giggled at that. "No, especially since she's married."

Karen stepped up to the railing on the catwalk and looked back at the floor of the hangar. She decided it was a good thing she liked heights. "That's a lot of stairs. I don't know why you bother working out, you probably get enough exercise just getting up in the morning."

"It does wake you up," Ashley agreed. "It's harder at night, though."

Karen shook her head. "I can imagine!"

Zhane and Ty were leaning on the railing farther down, talking about something she didn't recognize. The nearest door was lit with a shimmering purple dragon, and she could see more sparkles further down. The dragon distracted her, though, and she reached out a hand towards it. "What is this?"

"That's Kerone," Ashley said with a smile. "She's our resident artist. She drew her cat zord on her door, and then all of us wanted a picture too. It's some kind of magical holographic thing she does--I don't know how it works, but it's pretty! She made the dragon a few days ago."

"It's beautiful." Karen glanced at her. "Can I touch it?"

"Mm-hmm. I do, anyway, and Kerone says it's fine. It sort of flickers when you touch it, but it goes right back to the way it was before afterward."

Karen reached out and pressed her fingers to the door, and the light brightened a little where it touched her skin. It was light, it had to be, because it made her fingers glow when she stuck her hand in it. She couldn't feel anything on the door, and the image was flat despite the appearance of depth. It rippled a little when she moved her fingers, almost like touching the surface of water, then stilled again when she drew her hand away.

"That's really cool," Karen declared. "So she just... drew this?"

"Yeah--come see Ty's, she did a whole tree for him. It has leaves that move when you walk by!" Ashley's excitement made Karen feel a little less silly about being awed, so she didn't bother to hide her amazement as she followed Ashley down the catwalk.

It was like a tree video built into the door. Like a photograph that moved and made sound and merged seamlessly with the metal around it, the tree was far more realistic than Kerone's stylized dragon. Its leaves did move, quieting when they stopped in front of it to admire them.

"Wow," Karen breathed, reaching out but not quite able to bring herself to touch it. 'That's crazy!"

"She spent a lot of time on it," Ashley said. "If you saw Ty's room, you'd recognize it. He has a tree just like that near the window."

"You can go in if you want," Ty called. He and Zhane had stopped talking to watch them, and he waved when they turned to looked at him. "The door's open."

"Thanks!" Ashley touched the silver square beside the door--one that looked an awful lot like the scanner outside, Karen thought--and the door slid open. Just like on the Megaship. Until she looked inside, and the similarities abruptly ended.

"You live in a greenhouse!" she called, peering around the doorframe at the cascade of green and mahogany and even pale colorless plants that covered nearly every surface. The tree on the door filtered about half the light from the windows, but there were artificial grow lights in the corner nearest to the door and a reading light by the bed. The whole room looked alive.

"Thank you," Ty's voice responded, and she stepped away from the door reluctantly.

"You can't see Zhane's room," Ashley added, letting Ty's door close behind them. "It's too messy for casual viewing. But he has a cool picture of the world on his door."

"It's not messy," Zhane corrected indignantly. He was leaning backwards on the railing now, a position that made Karen wince when she thought about the drop on the other side. "It's comfortable."

"Synonyms," Ashley informed her.

He did have a picture of the world on his door. It was almost Earth, except that none of the continents were right. "Is that KO-35?" Karen blurted out. She realized how silly the question was as soon as she asked. It was "the world," after all.

"Yup," Ashley said happily. "And that's Keyota--" She leaned on Karen's shoulder and pointed toward the southern edge of one of the biggest landmasses. The light shimmered around her finger as she touched the metal underneath. "Right there."

"Cool," Karen decided. "Is that where we are?"

"We're a little bit east of the city," Ashley answered. "But still in the Keyota district. People like to say that the Rangers live in Keyota, even if we're kind of on the outside edge."

"Good thing, too," Zhane put in. "We avoid the traffic."

"It's true," Ashley agreed solemnly, and it was hard to tell whether she was joking or not. "The hover rails jam in the late afternoon, and it's not worth going anywhere unless you do the driving yourself.

"Here's the bathroom," she continued, as though that had made perfect sense. "Definitely one of the most impressive parts of our redecorating spree. We actually have separate boys and girls showers now! Before we just had a divider, and things got kind of interesting."

"You're kidding," Karen said, looking from her to Zhane and Ty uncertainly.

"Sadly, no," Zhane told her. "I liked it better the way it was before, but no one listens to me."

"Because you're crazy," Ashley said. "Girls are on the right, boys are on the left. There's a single bathroom downstairs next to the kitchen, but we made sure there was actual usable space up here. Ty got some guys that he knew to come in and install everything."

"Yeah, there was running water but it turns out that zord bays don't actually come equipped with bathrooms," Zhane commented. "I bet more people would think of living in them if they did. Can't beat the convenience."

"We were trying to get away from the reporters," Ashley explained. "Which I guess is ironic, since now we have one working here, but... It's nice to be able to walk out the door without the entire street noticing what you're wearing, who you're with, and where you're going."

"And what time it is," Ty added.

"Whether you look upset or not," Zhane continued.

"How long it's been since you last left." Ashley rolled her eyes. "I think people I didn't even know knew more about my life than I did."

"Which is still true," Ty said ruefully, "but at least we don't notice it as much."

"Actually, can I take a break and try out the bathrooms?" Karen asked. "I'll be right back."

"Sure, go ahead," Ashley said quickly.

"We'll still be here," Zhane remarked.

"Causing trouble," Ty added.

She had to giggle. They were amazingly in sync. They reminded her of her own teammates, which she supposed shouldn't be such a surprise. She thought of her team as friends first and Rangers second, but most of the current Kerovan team had known each other longer than she had known Carlos. Just because she didn't know them that well didn't mean they were strangers to each other.

"I think Kesra should get a raise for dealing with all of us," Ashley was saying as she came out of the bathroom.

"She probably has," Ty remarked. "We already asked which nights she works. I don't think there's anyone there who doesn't know we like her."

"There's nothing wrong with the other waitresses," Zhane argued. "Kesra just happened to wait on us first."

"Right, when no one knew that we were nice," Ashley told him. "Now that they know we're easy, it's totally different. Kesra should get points for being the first."

"Who's Kesra?" Karen wanted to know, leaning on the railing beside Zhane. "You don't have personal caterers too, do you?"

"She's the waitress at this cafe in town we like," Ashley said with a laugh. "She works four nights a week, and we always try to go when she's there. We were just talking about going tonight."

"Sounds cool," Karen said, squinting out at the big cat-like shapes. She wanted to ask where the other zords were, but it didn't seem topical right now. "By the way, you're right about the bathrooms." She grinned at Ashley. "Very nice."

Ashley giggled, linking her arm through Karen's and pulling her away from the railing. "Thanks! So your room is right down here... you can decorate it yourself and stay as long as you want. Or if you find someplace else you want to stay, we can help you with that, or if you go back to Earth next week we'll just tell people it's the guest room."

"You guys are really cool to let me stay here," Karen told her, reaching for her backpack. "Have I thanked you for that recently?"

"Only twelve or thirteen times," Ashley said cheerfully. "We're glad to have you! I'm so excited to have someone else from Earth around! We're going to have a good time."

She grabbed Karen's duffel bag off the catwalk and let go of her arm to open the door. "Home sweet home," Ashley announced, waving her in. "Or it will be, once you get some stuff. We can go shopping this afternoon, if you want, or tomorrow, or whenever you feel like it."

There was a bed on one side and shelves on the other, and that was about it. Karen was drawn to the windows, though, which looked out at a hillside that sloped up and away from the hangar. One of the big cat-zords was out the ridgeline, laying on the stone in a decidedly non-zord like position. It looked almost like it was... sunning itself?

"We didn't want to get furniture that you didn't like," Ashley was saying. "So we thought we'd just wait and let you pick. I hope it's not too weird, leaving your stuff in an empty room."

"No, it's not at all," Karen hurried to assure her. As she turned away from the window she added, "Well, it's a little weird, but only in a good way. I guess I'm going to need some sheets, huh?"

"And a comforter!" Ashley explained, "I knew yellow wasn't your first favorite color, so I thought you'd want to choose your own things. We can go now if you want, or we can have something to eat first."

"Or we can leave you alone to settle in," Ty said from the door. "I don't know about you, but I overwhelm easily. You can just hang out for a while if you want."

"Actually, I'm kind of hungry," Karen admitted. "I'd like to get something to eat."

"Lunchtime," Ashley declared. "Good, I'm starving. I thought I was going to have time to eat before you got here, but I ended up chasing Kae around the hangar for most of the morning. I don't know how Kerone keeps up with him."

"Kae?" Karen repeated. "How many people live here, anyway?"

"Kae's new," Ashley said, glancing over her shoulder at Zhane and Ty. "It's kind of a long story. He's..."

"He's this kid that Astronema rescued in another dimension," Zhane interrupted. "He won't tell us his name, so I just called him 'K' for 'Kid,' but As--someone thought that was rude, so she had to spell it out. K-a-e."

"It's better than just 'K,'" Ashley informed him. "Kerone's not sure he even had a name, before. He was a slave in Dark Spectre's monarchy," she added, as though that would clear everything up. "He doesn't talk very much, and he's scared of everything, but he's a good kid."

Karen eyed them for a moment, and came to the conclusion that it was more likely they were serious than not. Nothing about the Power, she reminded herself, ever made sense on first telling. "How old is he?" she asked at last.

Ashley shrugged helplessly, but Zhane offered, "Probably three or four."

"You adopted a three-year-old from another dimension?" Karen demanded incredulously. "When? How did I miss this?"

"We haven't actually adopted him," Ashley said, just as Zhane spoke over her.

"A couple of days ago," he answered. "We're trying not to spread the word until we know more about him. He's had a pretty rough life so far, and we don't want to make it worse."

Zhane was serious, she realized all of a sudden. When had that happened? She had totally missed the transition from Zhane the Clown to Zhane the Parental Figure. The latter was kind of a spooky thought, but he had gone from gleeful flirt to responsible adult in a matter of minutes. Suddenly he seemed older than she was.

"Okay," she said slowly, glancing from Zhane to Ashley. "So... how did he get here, again? Is he staying with you, or are you just helping take care of him? Where is he now?" And would she have to babysit? She could see it happening already.

"Remember how I said it was a long story?" Ashley's smile was apologetic and amused at the same time. "It really is. Want to get some lunch while we talk about it?"

Karen was perfectly willing to be persuaded, and Zhane and Ty seemed just as willing to follow them. Was she that interesting, she wondered? Or were they just waiting on lunch too? Had they really been on another planet all morning? This was a totally different world, and not just in the literal sense.

She loved it.

"That's my room," Ashley said, pointing to it as they passed. "Andros' is at the top of the stairs. They're not soundproofed, by the way, so if you hear someone with their music all the way up, just knock and we'll turn it down."

Karen nodded absently, distracted by the holographic designs on the last two doors. Ashley's was a colored line drawing of sunrise over the hills, while Andros' showed the red cat-zord's head: ears back, teeth bared in a defiant roar. "Is that a warning?" she wondered aloud.

It was Zhane who laughed. "Friendly, isn't it?"

"Leave it to Andros," Ty added. "But is that who he is, or who he wants us to see?"

"Hmm," Zhane drawled, and he and Ty exchanged mock-thoughtful looks.

"I hope sandwiches are okay with you," Ashley said, ignoring them as she started down the stairs. "I know we have fruit and eggs, and probably some leftovers from last night, but we all tend to eat the same things over and over. We're kind of used to sandwiches for lunch, but like I said, we can go find you anything you want this afternoon."

"Sandwiches sound great," Karen promised. "They're my staple food. Well, that and ice cream. I'm going to be really disappointed if you don't have ice cream here."

"We do have ice cream," Ashley said with a laugh. "Believe me, we have plenty of ice cream! It's not exactly the same, but it's pretty close. Cassie's so jealous... I bring her some every time I visit."

"I'm set," Karen declared. "You have everything I could ever want... spaceships and ice cream. I may never leave!"

"Wait till tomorrow," Ashley said, wrinkling her nose. "When Kae wakes us up at two in the morning with a nightmare, and the zords get up and roll the doors open, and then Andros decides that really, anyone who's up should be sparring with him--"

"Get up late," Zhane advised. "Really late. In fact, just skip breakfast altogether. It's safer."

"So Kae does live here," Karen surmised, focusing on the story she still hadn't gotten. "But you haven't adopted him? Are you going to?" Are you crazy, she added in the privacy of her own mind?

"Okay," Ashley said, skipping down the last steps and turning to face her at the bottom. She started walking backwards as Karen joined her. "Remember JT's dimension? With the war and the Free Systems and the switching of us and them?"

"Where I was married to Carlos?" Karen added. "Yeah, I haven't forgotten. I don't think Aura has either."

"Aura's not really a forgetter," Zhane remarked idly. "More of a grudge-to-grave kind of person."

"Zhane," Ashley said, turning a too-sweet smile on him. "Why don't you go make us some sandwiches?"

Zhane tossed a salute in her direction, pacing easily around her as Ty accompanied him. Not that interesting after all, Karen decided. That was sort of a relief. And judging by the expression on Zhane's face, she wasn't going to count on a sandwich from him.

"Anyway, the Astronema from JT's dimension came to visit us a couple of days ago." Ashley glanced at her as though expecting her to protest. "She had a little boy with her, and she couldn't take him back."

"Okay--" Now Karen had to stop her. "Even assuming it's normal for villains from other dimensions to just drop by for tea, why couldn't she take the kid back? Why did she bring him in the first place?"

"She didn't mean to. He was on the ship that she crashed--she snuck off of the Dark Fortress in her dimension, got on a ship that brought her here, and when it was about to crash she realized she wasn't the only person on it. Kae had been abandoned by the crew, so she teleported him out with her and brought him here. He couldn't go back because she didn't think she'd be able to protect him on the Dark Fortress."

Karen considered that for a moment, watching Ashley back around one of the stools in the kitchen and turn to avoid it smoothly. "Does that make any sense?" she asked over her shoulder.

Karen shook her head, even though she knew Ashley wasn't watching. "I have this theory about the Power," she announced. "Nothing about it makes sense. So far I haven't found anything to disprove that."

"It's a good theory," Ty commented. "I'm going to start promoting it."

"I'm going to start promoting lunch," Zhane told them. "Karen, anything you won't eat?"

"You don't have to--" She hadn't expected him to even take Ashley seriously, let alone start making her something to eat.

"Enjoy it," he advised. "I usually devote most of my energy to making Astrea eat. I'm taking the day off."

"Well, as long as you're just staying in practice," Karen told him, leaning up against the counter. "No, I'll eat pretty much anything. Although I'd rather it didn't move," she added after a moment.

"No moving," Zhane agreed. "Got it."

"You're easy," Ty said, assembling sandwich ingredients at the other end of the counter. "Especially compared to Zhane. He'll eat almost anything in front of an audience, but leave him alone and he's the most picky eater you'll ever meet."

"I don't know," Karen said, glancing back at Zhane. "Even I've heard stories about Zhane's adventures in cooking."

Ty wagged a finger at her. "Audience," he reminded her.

"Pay no attention to him," Zhane told her. "I'm very adventurous when it comes to food, as to all other things."

"And you'll never prove otherwise," Ty added. "Unless you catch him down here in the middle of the night, snacking on cereal and baby food."

Zhane lifted a butter knife and pointed it in his direction. "You," he declared, "are bad for my reputation."

Without pause Ty added, "But he's very good in bed."

Ashley's muffled laughter convinced Karen that it was safe to giggle. Zhane looked somewhat mollified, but the look he threw in Ty's direction made her wonder if it wasn't just a joke. She couldn't have missed out on that much gossip... could she?

"Pass the leafy things," Ashley demanded, and Zhane smirked at her.

"How much are they worth to you?" he wanted to know.

"Not as much as you'd think!"

"Greens for you," Zhane said, handing them over, "And a sandwich for you." He presented it to Karen with a flourish, setting the plate down in front of her with the reminder, "My feelings will not be hurt if my culinary standards do not match those of your tastebuds."

"Yeah, just because Kerone eats anything he makes doesn't mean you have to," Ty agreed.

Zhane pointed the knife in his direction again. Ty assumed a mock-earnest expression as he told her gravely, "Very good in bed."

"Where is Kerone?" Karen asked, hoping to divert attention as she took her first bite. She might be able to eat anything, but after Aquitar she had learned to be careful about who was watching her while she did it.

"She took Kae outside to see Magic." Ashley leaned around her to raid Ty's sandwich assembly line, and caught her eye as she did so. "Kerone's zord. Hers is Magic, Zhane named his Zip, and Ty's is Fauna."

It took her a minute, but when she got it she smiled around her sandwich. Swallowing, she offered, "Animal life? I like it." Ty looked up long enough to grin at her.

"So?" Zhane prodded. "Edible?"

"So," she assured him. "Very good, thanks."

Zhane beamed. "You're welcome! Sandwiches: my new specialty."

"He's moving up in the culinary world," Ty remarked. "We started with vegetables and dip. Next on the list is soups."

"I'm really good at cutting vegetables," Zhane confided to her.

"And pouring the dip that Ty makes into a bowl," Ashley added.

"Hey!" Zhane exclaimed.

"No, he can make dip," Ty corrected. "It was the lemonade that he cheated on."

"I didn't cheat," Zhane said with dignity. "I took advantage of the fact that there happened to be some available."

Ashley rolled her eyes at that, but Ty reached out and picked up an empty glass. He raised it in a salute, saying, "Use the resources you have available."

"Here, here." Zhane grabbed another glass and clinked it against his.

Ashley caught Karen's eye above her sandwich. With a shrug and a smile she offered, "Welcome to life in the hangar."

(light shines through)

"Ooh... since when do you walk around with candles?"

"It's just one candle."

"Since when do you walk around with just one candle?"

"Since you started sitting out here in the dark alone."

"Not so alone now."

"Sorry... did you want to be?"

"Kind of. Not really. Not from you."

"Are you cold? I brought you a coat."

"Wow, candles and leather. I'm getting the star treatment tonight."

"I couldn't find yours. I figured mine's not too big."

"Remember when we got these, back on Earth?"

"I remember you taking me shopping about a hundred times."

"I guess that's a no?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"We must have walked all over town holding hands..."

"And getting chased by tank monsters that left burning tire tracks."

"It didn't seem strange, back then."

"Annoying. But not strange."

"Where did you get this candle?"

"I own candles."

"You stole it from Zhane, didn't you."

"He gave it to me. Said you needed someone to talk to."

"I told him I didn't."

"Maybe that's why he sent me."

"...Do you ever think, what if what I'm doing doesn't mean anything?"

"Did you go on the quest?"

"What?"

"My fear. At the ravine. We all exchanged fears?"

"You make it sound like a holiday. 'Today, we're going to give fear.'"

"I think we probably have enough already."

"What's your fear, Andros?"

"You want me to pick one?"

"I don't know. Yes."

"Losing someone I love because of something I didn't say."

"That's not what you said on the quest."

"I thought you didn't remember the quest."

"You said you were afraid of not mattering."

"It's probably a common fear."

"I'm scared of not caring."

"Not caring about what?"

"Anything. I guess I know I matter. I'm just afraid of not caring."

"That's kind of funny, for someone who cares so much about so many things."

"And the person who decides the fate of the planet is afraid of not mattering?"

"Maybe... we're all afraid of losing what we have."

"...You won't lose me."

"Ditto."

"Pass that candle over here."

"It couldn't have sat in the grass where it was?"

"It was between us. I want a hug."

"Well, you're in luck, because tonight is Free Hug Night."

"Really... has anyone told Kerone?"

"She doesn't observe Free Hug Night."

"Too bad. She could cover a lot of ground by teleporting."

"I'm not going to get my jacket back tonight, am I."

"I don't know why you bothered to ask."

3. Good Faith

"It doesn't matter whether she's Andros' sister or not. She's second in command of the greatest military power in the galaxies, and that power wants nothing more than to see the Free Systems obliterated. She'll say and do anything to accomplish that end."

Jenkarta had made the same argument over and over, rewording it every time someone spoke but refusing to let it go. Maybe he shouldn't let it go, maybe he was right, but it had to be irritating to have every idea countered by "it doesn't matter." It was a hypothetical issue anyway; he could at least embrace it as a thought question.

"She's second in command of a power she's starting to question! I was with her for three months, and I'm telling you she's not a ruthless villain! Her memory's been wiped, but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel. She's still human."

To Ashley, that apparently made all the difference. Humans were no less capable of atrocities than any other species, and just because someone could feel didn't mean that they felt guilt, remorse, or responsibility to the side of good. Although the time she had spent as Astronema's captive had provided them with extremely valuable intelligence, it had also--arguably--compromised her perspective.

"Human or not, she acts for Dark Spectre. The only mercy she has ever shown is toward you, Ashley. While this may be significant, perhaps even indicative of a turning point in her reign, it would be foolish to base an entire campaign on a single subjective event. I am willing to believe that Astronema can change. I am less willing to concede that she has."

Ko'Teth ma Ree was ever impressionable. Gentle, imaginative, and compassionate nearly to the point of weakness, she walked a fine line as leader of her own Ranger team. She relied heavily on her teammates to guide her decisions, and yet they listened when she spoke and carried out her decisions with no outward sign of dissent. He didn't understand her style of leadership... and yet hers was the only team to escape the border intact. Allowances had to be made for someone who could keep their troops alive.

"Forget the person for a minute. This plan is crazy. Why would anyone go to so much trouble to contact us, just to suggest something that any reasonable person would laugh at? It doesn't make any sense--unless she's telling the truth."

Ah, Andros. One could always count on him to produce the most convoluted logic in support of his arguments. The youngest Red Ranger in attendance at their impromptu strategy session was also the most experienced. He had been a Ranger longer even than Jenkarta, and although he was impulsive, headstrong, and occasionally irrational, he also had a way of achieving a favorable outcome from the most improbable of tactical scenarios.

It drove the Eltaran leader crazy. "You're saying the fact that none of us would ever go along with something like this is reason enough to go along with it?" Jenkarta asked wryly. "I don't know about you, but my team's going to need more than that."

Saryn wished he could close his eyes. It would be one less sense feeding him a constant stream of information, one less thing to process at the end of a day that had worn him down long before Jenkarta called this meeting. He acknowledged the importance of the information: the fact that Astronema had apparently sent an interdimensional message to one of their Rangers with the unbelievable offer of alliance was one that couldn't wait. But he did wish it had come a little earlier in the day.

"Saryn?" Jenkarta sounded impatient, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping back at the elder Ranger. "Do you want to share your opinion with the rest of us?"

He almost said no. No, because it would only drag this out longer, whether formal turn-taking degenerated into shouting matches or not. No, because Jenkarta had no right to patronize his fellow Rangers just because this was his planet. His level of battle stress was arguably the lowest of any, given that he was the only one still fighting on home turf with his original team in its entirety.

"This discussion is pointless," Saryn said flatly. "The question of Astronema's intent is irrelevant. Even if the border were to offer zero resistance, which is unlikely no matter the level of mutiny the Dark Fortress believes it can muster, the Free Systems do not have the resources to carry out an offensive of this magnitude."

"I think we do." Andros sprang immediately to the defense of a plan that Saryn was beginning to think he might actually endorse. "We can't gain ground on Dark Spectre the way things are now. But if Astronema managed to start something on the border, it won't be just another unaligned territory on the fringes of monarchy space. It'll be a war zone. It'll be a new front that diverts attention, troops, and equipment away from us."

"What if--"

"It won't--"

Ashley and Ko'Teth ma Ree spoke at the same time, and Ko'Teth ma Ree predictably yielded the floor to the Yellow Ranger. No one else would have done it, except perhaps Ashley's own team leader. Ashley was only here because the message had been directed at her, and Saryn wondered tiredly whether Andros would have been easier to reason with had Ashley been absent.

He decided, very privately, that he was glad she wasn't. Maybe he was losing his objectivity. Maybe he had been doing this too long. Maybe Cassandra was influencing him in ways he hadn't realized, or maybe he was just exhausted. But more and more lately, he found himself wanting to believe in Andros.

Ever since Ashley had returned from the Dark Fortress, Andros--with his Yellow and Silver Rangers beside him--had been charging morale across the planet. He knew just what to say, who to say it to, and when. It was somewhat startling to see the change in the formerly withdrawn Red Ranger. It was as though, Saryn sometimes thought, the faith that had been restored by Ashley's return was too much for him to keep to himself. It was infectious... and Saryn couldn't object.

If there was one thing they could use more of on Eltare, aside from everything, it was faith. He would take it where he could find it, no matter how unlikely the source. He wanted to believe in something for a change.

"If we had some other kind of diversion," Ashley was saying. "Say we can't count on Astronema, say this is some kind of setup. If we make a move, they'll expect it to be in the direction of the border. What if we went the other way?"

For a moment, there was blissful silence. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to enjoy it, because he was too busy trying to decide whether he had completely missed her point or she had actually said something nonsensical. She was sincere, he knew that. But that was as far as his empathy got him.

"Look," Ashley said, before anyone could verbalize the expressions of non-comprehension he could see mirroring his around the table. "It's a win-win situation. Covert ops on a planet like Earth could be a precursor to military action in any direction--toward the border if Astronema comes through, or toward the Milky Way if she doesn't. We provide the distraction we were expecting from her, and it's in the opposite direction. Any ambush she might be planning ends up working against her if her forces are gathered on the other side of the local group."

"Earth isn't the planet I would have picked," Jenkarta said at last. Saryn looked at him in surprise. If he had expected anyone to take Ashley's suggestion seriously, Jenkarta would have been the last. "Earth has been hammered by assault and occupation to the point where resistance must be negligible. We've had no reports from out that way in far too long--"

"I have." Ashley's interruption was against the rules of the debate they were currently engaged in, but to her credit she stopped there and let Jenkarta decide whether to let her speak. When he just stared at her, she lifted her chin a little higher and stared back. Months in the company of Astronema had taught her a great deal.

"What do you mean, you have?" Jenkarta demanded. "The relays are overrun or missing altogether, and hyperboosted transmissions would have been traced the moment they were sent. You can't possibly have contact with anyone on Earth."

Not to mention the fact that it was highly illegal. Such transmissions were not only traceable, they were also impossible to secure. There were very few encryption codes that the monarchy hadn't broken, and the only ones available to civilians were too new to have been disseminated on Earth before it fell. In times such as these, messages that could be intercepted were tantamount to treason. If Ashley had heard from someone on her home planet without reporting it--or worse, contacted them herself--only her Ranger status would protect her from martial law.

"Gabriel Vargas is part of the resistance," Ashley told him. "He's Carlos' brother. He gave Carlos an encryption key before he left and I used it to contact him just a few days ago. They don't have tech, but they have people and they have organization. They could free that planet on their own if they had any way to defend it afterward."

She was either deluded or extremely well informed. He looked to Andros, belatedly realizing that everyone else at the table was doing the same thing. Was there any reason to believe that Earth had that kind of potential?

Andros nodded slowly. "The resistance is being run by a secret warrior society," he told them. "They have some kind of supernatural powers, and they've kept themselves hidden from the occupation for years. If what Gabe says is true, they do have a chance."

They couldn't defend Earth. It was too far from the Free Systems to be easily encompassed, and if it had no tech of its own then there was little hope that it could maintain an unaligned status. On the other hand, if it was to become a temporary source of conflict that would serve to divert Dark Spectre's forces... that was another matter entirely.

"We'll need every bit of intelligence your source has," Jenkarta was telling Ashley. "Along with some method of direct communication if what he says turns out to be true."

"I can get that together," she said steadily. "By tomorrow at the latest."

"Would you have picked a different planet, Jenkarta?" Ko'Teth ma Ree drew their attention with an almost forgotten question, and Saryn couldn't muster anything but the most dispassionate interest in the answer.

Even when it turned out to be an answer worth the interest. "Aquitar," Jenkarta said simply. "They've had time to regroup, reorganize, and rebuild," he added, when the silence lingered. "Completely isolated from Dark's Spectre's forces. They could, potentially, be our most valuable ally."

"If anyone knew how to contact them," Andros said, disbelief evident in his voice. "If the planet even exists anymore."

"It has to," Ashley murmured, and it was questionable whether he had said all he wanted to say or if hers was simply an interruption he permitted. "Carlos came back from it after it vanished. It's still there. We just can't see it."

"Which is why it's the perfect ally," Jenkarta repeated. "It's free of any monarchy influence."

"Then why," Saryn asked, fixing his stare on the tabletop, "would it want to help us?"

There was an uncomfortable quiet. Finally Andros said, "I'll ask TJ if he knows anything that could help us get in touch with Aquitar. We have to ask, if we can. Jenkarta's right--they could be a better bet than Earth."

Ashley shifted in her seat but said nothing.

"I like both possibilities better than the border," Jenkarta admitted. "But that's all they are: possibilities. We'll meet again tomorrow to hear whatever news Andros and Ashley have for us. In the meantime, get a team consensus: is there anything Astronema could reasonably be expected to do that would convince us? A gesture of faith, so to speak?"

Saryn gave in to the temptation to close his eyes. He couldn't take the sensory input any longer. He didn't like shielding: it was tiring, distracting, and led to an eerily muffled sensation that made him feel like he was trying to participate in this meeting with all the sound turned off. But he was shielding now. Anything that would block out the psychic noise. At this point, he would put his hands over his ears if he thought he could do it and escape comment from the rest of the Rangers gathered.

"Saryn?" Jenkarta's irritable tone once again pierced the conversation, and Saryn opened his eyes reluctantly. Jenkarta's look was pointed, and he clearly didn't intend to repeat the question this time.

It didn't matter. Saryn hadn't given it any thought anyway. "No," he said, closing his eyes again. What did it matter? They couldn't do it. He no longer saw any point in speculating about it.

His empathic shields were disturbingly effective, and the renewed discussion of Astronema's intentions reached him only through his ears. There was one person his shields couldn't exclude, though, and the mental silence only made her presence more difficult to ignore. He was looking at a picture on a ledge half a world away by the time Jenkarta finally called a halt to the proceedings.

He opened his eyes, and the picture vanished from his mind. Not the regret, though. The sadness lingered, and he knew where he would be drawn. Despite his fatigue, no amount of apathy would be enough to keep that cry from reaching his heart. Even on his strongest days, he couldn't ignore that kind of plea.

He left the building by teleportal and found himself on the outskirts of her territory. Still her territory, even after months of living in the medical ward. She had moved back here afterwards... to the building, if not to the room. The quiet separation between her and her fiance was finally official. He didn't know if the twins' birth had been the final blow, or if it had come much earlier than that. She didn't say, and he wouldn't ask. Not now.

He made his way to the top of the building, following an invisible pull to which he had long since become resigned. Cassandra was out on the edge of the roof, unfettered and undefended. He wished she would pick a safer place to spend her solitude.

He joined her silently by the railing. She would have known when he arrived. He would have known if she didn't want him to be here. There was no need to greet each other... indeed, there was little need to speak at all.

He wished she would.

"Jenkarta annoyed you." She didn't have to ask.

He was grateful that she made the effort to converse. Too often lately--as ever, at least in private--their shared company was silent. It was barely an improvement on the times when any remark they thought could be overheard was scathing or intolerant. Now, though there was no longer any reason to publicly disparage each other, there was every reason not to interact at all. He saw her only when she was alone, and private conversation was something they both had to work at.

"Everyone annoys me lately." It was an unfortunate truth in circumstances that made close social contact both necessary and constant.

Cassandra glanced sideways at him, and muted curiosity penetrated her cloud of regret. "Except you," he added quietly, in answer to her unasked question. Her effect on his psyche went far beyond simple annoyance.

She looked down again, fixing her gaze on the picture that he knew she held. He had never seen it. He didn't have to see it. He had memorized everything about it. It bothered him that she had never shown it to him. She hadn't hidden it, she simply... didn't offer it. Perhaps she thought he didn't care.

Cassandra held the picture out to him without a word.

She was very close tonight. She shouldn't be able to interpret every idle thought that crossed his mind, and yet somehow it seemed that she was. Of course, he shouldn't be able to see through her eyes either, and he had. An unanticipated result of his voyager inheritance, maybe. Or simply a side effect of the Power? To his knowledge, bonded empaths had never simultaneously held the Power until now.

He took the picture from her and stared down at the tiny figures curled in the middle of their pink and white blankets. He had never seen them in person. "You did the right thing," he murmured.

To his surprise, she laughed. It was a short, humorless sound, and the disgust that clouded her emotions made his heart ache. "When was that, exactly? When I was cheating on my fiance? When I lied to him, when I slept with you, when I brought babies into a world that doesn't deserve them? When I gave them up because this is no life for an adult, let alone for a child? Tell me when I've ever done the right thing!"

"When you gave me something to believe in," he replied softly. "When you told TJ the truth. When you realized you had been given children you didn't want and you bore them anyway. When you allowed civilians to care for them so that they might have the attention you can not give."

She scoffed, leaning harder against the railing as she tried to stare herself across the drop in front of them. He wanted to tell her to step back, to relinquish the edge she seemed so determined to haunt. But he had his own edges, and until he found his way back from them he had no business trying to call her to his side. He wouldn't ask her to trade one cliff for another.

"I hate myself sometimes," she told the edge of the building.

"I love you," he said simply.

At first, he thought she wouldn't answer. Then, finally, he heard her tell the railing, "I miss the way you used to hold me."

It had been a long time since he had touched her. He wasn't sure that risking it now was the most prudent course of action. It was too easy to lose himself when her emotions flooded into his, too easy to forget the boundaries they had set for themselves, too hard to stop touching later. But prudent or not, he couldn't ignore the wistful tone of her voice.

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned with downcast eyes to step into his embrace. It was easy, natural, nowhere near as awkward as it should have been, and he closed his eyes with a sigh. This was a moment he would like to hold onto for as long as he had the strength to remember such things.

He let the picture rest against her back as he hugged her closer. No one had been more shocked than Cassandra when a physical exam following the disappearance of her dimensional counterpart revealed the same pregnancy a month delayed. An Earth month: roughly the same amount of time between the conception of her counterpart's twins and her first dimensional transit.

Whether the timeframe was significant or not was moot. The twins were hers and his, and they couldn't disprove the possibility that dimensional shifting had nothing to do with their existence. They would probably never know--and that uncertainty brought the truth to light. Their illicit relationship was undeniable.

Relations between their teams went from companionable to effectively nonexistent overnight. Or rather, the Earth Rangers stopped speaking to either him or Jenna, and they found it simplest to return the favor. Andros and Zhane refused to have any part in the events. The two Kerovan Rangers became the Astro team's representatives in any and all issues that involved the Elisians.

He sighed again, choosing not to think about those first few weeks when he had something so much better to enjoy right now. Cassandra's mood was lightening, reluctantly but noticeably, and he wondered that it had been so dark even he was as positive contrast. Amusement filtered through at that, and he resigned himself to her unstoppable knowledge of his thoughts for at least the near future.

"Are you worried that I'm going to steal your Resident Self-Loather title?" she whispered. No matter how teasingly she meant it, the words made him frown.

"It bothers me to hear you say that," he whispered back. "I can't stand to think that you truly hate yourself."

Her reply was disturbingly enigmatic. "Now you know how I feel."

He considered that, running the words through his mind over and over, until she took pity on him and explained. "You punish yourself for things that aren't your fault more than anyone I know. I hate that there's nothing I can do about it."

"But there is something you can do." He let the words stay so soft he wasn't sure she could hear them, wasn't sure he even wanted to say them out loud, but it seemed as though she would know what he thought whether he gave voice to it or not. "You're doing it right now."

He felt her arms tighten around him. "Do you know what I dream, sometimes?" she whispered.

He probably knew better than she did, but he didn't say so.

"Sometimes... I think about what this planet would be like if we ever won. If we beat Dark Spectre and we didn't have to patrol every day." She stopped for a moment, and her voice was so faint that he held his breath to hear her words. "I think about getting my babies back, and I think about raising them."

She hesitated just long enough that he thought that was all she would say. Then she added, almost inaudibly, "With their father."

If she expected him to protest a vision of the future so idyllic he had never dared imagine it, she would wait an eternity for a challenge that never came. "Would that dreams were contagious," he murmured. "So that I might catch yours and dream it every night."

Her grip loosened, and he allowed her to take a single step back. Strange... he had thought it would be harder to let her go. It must be the euphoric delight that her vision evoked, the thought that she might share a wish so long denied.

"Would you really want a family?" she asked softly, searching his expression. "It wasn't... it was never something we thought could happen."

"It's the thing I want most," he confessed. She couldn't know that the image of him with her and the twins was the thing that made this day beautiful again. He held out the picture she had given him without taking his eyes off of her. "Second only to you."

"Keep it." She didn't even look down, but she lifted one hand from his waist to curl his fingers around the edge of the picture. "I have another one."

He made no effort to object. "Just when I think," he told her quietly, "that I can not endure another day. When I think that tomorrow I may wake up and all my caring will be gone... I see you. In my mind, in person if I am fortunate... and my faith is restored."

She smiled. It was the first time her expression had lit up like that since he found her out here, and it was one more in a string of sparkling moments that he wished he could replay at will. "I can't tell," she remarked, "whether we're getting better at small talk or if you're just using your diplomat-speak to win me over."

He gave that the consideration it was due. "That depends," he said at last, very seriously. "Is it working?"

She looked like she came very close to a giggle, and he lifted one hand from shoulder to cheek. Stroking her skin, he added gently, "I am sorry you have come to know me first as an instrument of deceit, and only incidentally as a person of sincerity. In this, at least, I am grateful for the connection between us, for it must reassure you to some degree."

She gave him a skeptical look, but he could feel more amusement than doubt behind the expression. "There's nothing about you that reassures me," she said with a sigh. "Except the fact that you're here."

"I would stay if you wanted me to," he said softly. He knew it wasn't what she meant and he couldn't help from offering anyway.

"No, you wouldn't," she countered. "Because I do want you to, and you won't. It wouldn't be fair to the others."

"There will come a day," he warned, "when 'fair to us' will seem more important than 'fair to others' in my mind."

Her mouth curved slightly, but this time it was a sad smile and one he took little pleasure in. "But not today."

"No," he agreed reluctantly. He still felt the weight of duty and moral obligation to his teammate--and to hers. He was sure their penance made little difference in the grand scheme of things, but it was a punishment they both felt they deserved. "Not today."

She took another step back, letting her hands fall, and he let go of her completely. It was a lonely feeling, even with her still there in front of him. "Thanks for coming," she murmured.

It could have been anything: a dismissal, an invitation, a simple acknowledgement of his presence. There was only one way he could answer. "Thank you for being here."

She hesitated a moment longer, then turned back to the railing. She could have walked away, but she didn't. It had been an unnaturally long day--he could have walked away just as easily. But he wouldn't leave her out here alone. Not when this was one of a very few times when he didn't have to.

He leaned on the railing beside her, saying nothing, and they contemplated the edge together. Somehow, though, with her at his side and the picture she had given him tucked into his uniform, it seemed a little farther away than it had before. He hoped there was anything about his presence that made the precipice less appealing to her as well.

"We saved you some dinner if you're hungry." Zhane knew he might not be, or at least might not realize he was. For Andros food was usually an incidental concern, something to be consumed when he had the time or when he could no longer function without it, whichever came first.

"Thanks." Andros flashed him a preoccupied smile, but he did look around as though he might notice if food suddenly appeared in front of him. That was enough of an invitation to make Zhane break out the leftovers.

"I'll go get it for you," he said, to keep their host from getting up. He headed for the kitchen, where Amanda was still cleaning up. He had offered to help, as always, and as always she had turned him down. When Bgoua cooked--which was most of the time--she cleaned, and she wouldn't let anyone talk her out of it.

Of course, he and Andros wouldn't let the neighbors help out in their apartment either. Guests were guests, and if there was one thing they could still do for each other in times like these, it was to extend the most basic form of hospitality. Cooking, visiting, pet-sitting... it was nice to have normal, competent, and above all tolerant neighbors.

"Still on the stove," Amanda said, anticipating him as he entered. "There's clean dishes over here if you want."

"Thanks." He transferred the remaining food onto a plate and added the appropriate silverware. By the time he'd turned around, Amanda had put down her sponge and poured another drink. "You coming?"

"That's as clean as it gets at the end of the day," she said with a smile. "Can I get you anything else?"

"If he even eats this much I'll be shocked," Zhane confided. "Thanks, though."

They made their way back into the main room, where the entertainment consisted mostly of lavishing attention on the dogs. Everyone was pretty low-key tonight, and Andros' arrival had only added to the sense that they should enjoy this quiet while they could. The Red Ranger rarely missed dinner without bringing significant news back with him afterward.

Andros accepted his plate with a gratitude that made Zhane wonder if he was more hungry than usual. He couldn't have skipped lunch, could he? Zhane tried to remember, but ultimately it was a futile effort. They had been on patrol early and had separated immediately afterward; he hadn't seen his partner again until now.

Amanda set the glass down beside him with a murmur of welcome, and Andros smiled at her in thanks. He was immediately the center of the dogs' attention, Zhane noted with some amusement. They wandered over with casual wags and pressed close against the couch, gazing up at him with adoring eyes. Food was the great leveler.

"Did you contact the others?" Ashley asked at last, her gaze alternating between Andros and the dogs. "I told Zhane about the meeting, but we waited until you got back to talk about it."

"Everyone's going to be in the pilots' lounge by 25.00 RST," Andros mumbled. He didn't look up until he had finished chewing and swallowed. "We'll get a team consensus then."

"Ranger business?" Bgoua guessed, and Andros glanced at Ashley.

"I didn't tell Bgoua and Amanda what it was about," she admitted. "Just that the Red Rangers had met and you were going to be late."

"We met about a message Ashley received," Andros said, for the benefit of their neighbors. He paused to take another bite. "It was supposedly from Astronema."

"Angelo, leave him alone," Amanda chided, snapping her fingers for the dog. "Come on, boy. You've already had your dinner."

"It's fine." And it probably was. Andros was used to Ranger begging by now. Zhane had only caught him at it a handful of times, but he was pretty sure that their Red Ranger was the biggest culprit when it came to sneaking the dog food under the table.

"Astronema, eh?" Bgoua repeated. "Is she in the habit of sending Rangers personal messages?"

There was no change in Andros' expression as he set his fork down and reached for his glass. "Just the ones she's held captive, apparently."

"So you think it really was Astronema?" Amanda frowned. "What was it, some kind of ultimatum?"

"You can't repeat this," Andros said with a sigh. "But yes, we think it was really Astronema, and no, she didn't deliver an ultimatum. She offered a kind of... truce. Alliance. Whatever you want to call it, she's saying she wants to fight for us."

Predictably, this news was met with silence. Zhane exchanged glances with Ashley while Andros apparently ignore the group reaction and concentrated on his dinner. Finally Amanda said carefully, "That seems... unlikely."

"Yeah." Andros looked up just long enough to catch her eye, and his wry amusement was obvious. "That's one word for it."

"Big huge trap is another," Zhane put in.

Ashley nudged him, making a show of trying to be inconspicuous. "That's three words."

"And they're all true," Bgoua said with a frown. "It seems so obvious that it's a trap that there must be something else behind her message."

Andros didn't answer, and Zhane glanced at him sharply. His lack of response was as telling as anything he could have said. Andros didn't think it was a trap. If he did he would have agreed with Bgoua automatically. Ashley had mentioned that he was considering the possibility, but Zhane had thought she must have misunderstood.

"Will you answer her?" Amanda was asking. "Can you even answer her?"

"I don't know." Andros had paused in his eating to stare at Ranger, who rearranged himself on the floor and lowered his head eagerly. "To both questions, I don't know. We can't go along with what she suggests, obviously, but any information about the enemy is good information. Even lies tell us something."

"And you expect to convene with your team tonight?" Bgoua asked after a moment. "What time is it now?"

"It's 24:41," Amanda answered for him. "We don't want to keep you..."

"We don't want to go," Ashley sighed, scrunching herself farther down in the cushions of her chair. She had to be tired if she was pouting, Zhane though, amused. She didn't usually let her cheerful facade down until she was back at their apartment, or occasionally when she was with her teammates.

"But we have to," Andros finished, scraping the rest of the food from his plate and looking around for his glass. Amanda was already getting up when he started to stand, and she held out her hands for his dishes. "You don't need to--"

"I want to," she said gently, smiling when he paused to drain his drink. "I'm glad you all could stop by. It's good to see you, even when there isn't much time to talk."

"It's always good to see you," Ashley responded, not moving from her chair. Zhane rose from the couch when Andros did, and she added, "I'm just going to stay here, okay? Tell the others I agree with whatever they decide."

While Amanda carried Andros' dishes into the kitchen, Zhane held out his hand to Ashley. "Nice try," he told her. "No rest for the Rangers."

She let him pull her out of the chair, and Bgoua got up to see them off. By the time they were out in the hallway it was, through no one's fault, really too late to make it to the zord bay on time even if they went directly there. And they couldn't, not unless they took Ranger with them.

So they stopped at home first, dropped Ranger off, got Ashley a sweatshirt, and made their way down to the ground floor and the nearest teleportal. There was a line tonight, and Zhane wondered what the occasion was. Surely he hadn't forgotten about some important holiday? He wasn't as good with Eltaran customs as Andros was.

The line let them through, and Andros keyed their destination into the portal device. The Co-Op teleportal required authorization, like all military destinations, and Ashley held her astromorpher up to the scanner when Andros waved for her to go first. Zhane followed, flashing his morpher in the direction of the scanner, and Andros stepped out of the portal behind him a moment later. The teleportal closed immediately on the other side.

Co-Op was relatively calm right now, and Zhane didn't give it more than a passing glance as they headed for the lifts. They were at the low point of the patrol rotation, a typical dead zone that the teams cycled through on a monthly basis. One team per quiet period per month, and then everyone got bumped one patrol cycle back. Right now this period belonged to Rangers from Calijyt.

In contrast to Co-Op, the Mega V hangar was an active and noisy place. Tech was swarming over the zords, looking for and maintaining anything the self-repair systems couldn't get to, and there were bots everywhere. Zhane wasn't particularly fond of the little metal creatures, but Ashley liked to watch them work. She stared out at the bay while they crossed to the lounge, hesitating after he and Andros entered so that she could survey their work just a little longer.

As expected, they were the last ones there. Carlos and Karen had gotten the couch nearest the door, and Cassandra was curled up in the armchair against the wall opposite them. TJ was sitting at the table in the back of the room, cutting up something that looked brightly colored and definitely edible.

"Hey guys," the Blue Ranger greeted them. "I'd wish you a happy holiday, but I can't pronounce it so you'll have to settle for cake. Courtesy of our floormates."

"What is it?" Zhane wanted to know, deciding that his best bet was to be near the table immediately. The door closed behind Ashley, shutting out the noise from the hangar, and he felt her curious presence just behind his shoulder. "Is it good?"

"Haven't tried it yet," TJ answered. "Want to help me with a taste test?"

"I'll get the plates," Zhane said cheerfully. "Dinner from our neighbors and dessert from yours. I like how this is working out!"

"Maybe you should wait till you try it to get excited," Ashley told him, clearly amused by his enthusiasm. "Some of the stuff they eat here is really... strange. And the stuff they drink is stranger."

"This doesn't look drinkable," Zhane pointed out, passing TJ a plate. "Andros has made you paranoid about the food on this planet. Most of it's perfectly normal."

"Let me know," Ashley said dubiously.

To his own surprise, "dessert" really was. It was sweet and fluffy and surprisingly palatable for a society that considered its juice the perfect appetizer: you had to eat something just to get the taste out of your mouth. "It's good," Zhane said, separating another piece and holding the fork out to her. "Here."

She let him feed it to her without a hint of skepticism, and he grinned as she drew back in surprise. "It is good," she remarked, eyeing the cake speculatively. "Can I have a piece too, Teej?"

"Sure thing." He posed dramatically above the cake with knife and impromptu spatula in hand. "Anyone else?"

"Me please," Karen said, not bothering to lift her head from Carlos' shoulder. "I promise to care more about this meeting if I get sugar first."

"I'll have some too," Carlos agreed. "I don't promise to care, but I'll at least try to stay awake."

Andros folded his arms, considering them all from where he stood by the side of the second couch. "There's talk of retaking Earth."

After a moment of complete silence, Karen pushed herself away from Carlos and sat up. "Okay," she said into the quiet. "Interest level suddenly high."

"That's crazy," TJ said flatly. "We've been over it a hundred times. There's no way to do it and make it stick. We don't have those kinds of resources."

"Aquitar might."

Even Zhane paused in his happy consumption of sugary delight to stare at him for that. Aquitar? Help them defend Earth? How? What for? He had been listening when Ashley told him about that meeting, he was sure of it. He was equally sure that there had been no more than a passing mention of Aquitar, and it hadn't had any connection to Earth.

"Excuse me," Carlos said at last. "Maybe I'm a little slow tonight. Did you just suggest contacting a planet that doesn't exist to defend a planet that isn't free?"

Andros didn't hesitate. "I think that pretty much describes the plan, yes."

"Which plan?" Zhane asked suspiciously. "Theirs, or yours?"

"'They' don't have a plan yet," Andros pointed out. "Why?" he added, with enough innocence to match Zhane's suspicion. "Don't you like my plan?"

"You're crazy," Zhane told him. "Even if we could contact Aquitar somehow, why would they want to help us? You heard what Cetaci told Eltare. She thinks they're luring Rangers here, convincing them it's hopeless so they'll fall back... defend the League center at all costs. She won't have anything to do with us."

"She won't have anything to do with Eltare," Andros corrected. "I bet she'll talk to Rangers from Earth."

TJ was passing out plates of cake to Karen and Carlos, and the Black Ranger was forced to lean around him to make his point. "Hello, does anyone remember Aquitar's new defining characteristic? It's not there! It's gone! How are we supposed to talk to empty space?"

"I was hoping you knew something about that," Andros admitted. "They were your closest neighbors. They didn't tell you about a trick that makes their planet disappear from interstellar scans?"

"We weren't exactly brothers in arms," Carlos said, picking his fork up and holding it out to the side in an approximation of a shrug. "More like distant cousins. They defended their planet, we defended ours. We just happened to be in the same part of space. I can count the number of times I talked to anyone from that team on one hand."

TJ was regarding Carlos thoughtfully. "You know who would know," he said. "Aquitar."

"Thanks for that catch-22," Carlos put in, stabbing his fork into his cake.

"No," TJ said slowly. "No, I mean Aquitar in the other dimension. In Justin's dimension. Remember, their Carlos was on pretty good terms with Aquitar. What if we could get someone over there to ask their Aquitar how to contact them?"

Zhane scraped some frosting off of the side of his plate while he considered that possibility. "That's actually kind of clever," he said aloud. "Is there some obvious reason that wouldn't work?"

"Other than the fact that they might not have any idea what we're talking about?" Carlos seemed determined to grouse about anything involving Aquitar, and considering his counterpart's involvement with the planet maybe that wasn't so strange. At the same time, it seemed counterproductive.

"That's no reason not to try!" Ashley, ever the voice of optimism, managed to sweep Carlos' protests aside without making it look like she was ignoring him. The sugar must be perking her up, Zhane decided. "Let's leave a message for JT tonight. He can transmit it to Justin whenever he comes back on duty."

"Okay," Cassandra said, getting everyone's attention from her solitary spot by the door. "Assuming we can contact Aquitar, what exactly are we going to ask them to do? A mutual defense pact is a little bit different than overthrowing an occupation."

"I told Jenkarta about Gabe and the ninja academies," Ashley put in. "I told him I was the one who had talked to him," she added, glancing in Carlos' direction. "I'm sorry, but I thought he should know that Earth has an active resistance."

Carlos was frowning, but Zhane had never seen the volatile Earth Ranger lose his temper with Ashley over anything. She was probably the only one who could have said what she did and get away unscathed. Zhane thought she knew it, too... she might have done it for just that reason.

"How much does Jenkarta know?" Carlos asked at last.

"I told him Gabe gave you that encryption key," Ashley said immediately. "I told him that I used it to contact Gabe a few days ago, and I told him that Gabe had organized people to back him up. That's all.

"Andros said they could probably retake the earth themselves," she added. "But they wouldn't be able to hold it. Jenkarta seemed a little surprised, but not like he was going to throw me in jail or anything. He wants to know everything Gabe's told you about the resistance. He also asked if Eltare could get in touch with him directly."

"No." Carlos' response was as fast as hers. "They're not stupid; they won't talk to anyone they don't know."

"How do you feel about giving him information on the resistance?" Ashley wanted to know. "No contact info, no names or places or strategies--nothing specific, just the kind of force they have and whether you think it could work with one from offworld?"

This time, Carlos hesitated. "I could give him general stuff," he agreed grudgingly. "But he'd have to take my word for it. I'm not going to compromise them, and Eltare won't have any luck finding them without us. They're ninjas. They probably don't even know what that means here."

"Aquitar had ninjas," Andros said unexpectedly.

"Phaedos too," Zhane volunteered.

"I'll tell him," Ashley promised. "Or Andros will," she said, glancing in his direction. "I'm probably not invited to the meeting tomorrow, huh?"

"Oh, you'll be there." Andros' tone left no room for doubt. "I need someone on my side, and you always manage to make people feel guilty about being cynics. Besides," he said, more seriously, "you're a lot more qualified to talk about that part of space than I am."

Ashley set her plate down on the table with an uncomfortable look in TJ's direction. "Well, TJ or Carlos would be better--"

"Astronema sent that message to you," Andros said firmly. "I know TJ was the Red Ranger for your planet, and Jenkarta respects that. But I can bring you because you're already involved, and hopefully no one will say anything. It'll be harder to get anyone else in--especially since you've already told Jenkarta that Gabe is talking to you, not Carlos."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Carlos remarked, and it was impossible to tell whether he was serious or not.

Ashley apparently knew just how to interpret it. "You're welcome," she retorted, wrinkling her nose at him. "I'm always willing to take the fall for my friends."

"That's why you're so popular," Carlos agreed gravely.

"Anybody else want cake?" TJ asked, cutting another piece. "Cause the longer we're here, the more I'm going to eat."

"Carlos, give Ashley whatever information you can," Andros ordered. "TJ, can you come up with some kind of message for Justin and make sure that JT gets it?"

"Sure can," TJ said easily. He was concentrating on the cake, moving his second piece from tray to plate and lifting the knife with a flourish when he succeeded. "Last chance for some cake!"

Cassandra's voice was soft and unexpected. "I'll try some," she said, and the effort it took to be casual was evident in her expression.

"You got it." TJ's reply was prompt, but Zhane noticed that he didn't look at her as he handed the cake to Ashley. Ashley carried it over to Cassandra, taking a seat on Andros' couch afterward.

"There's just one more thing," Andros said with a sigh. "I know," he said, when Karen groaned. "It's a team consensus, so if we can't get anywhere we'll have to sleep on it."

"Or you could just decide for us." Ashley settled against the cushions on the side of the sofa closest to him. "You're good at that."

"Is there anything Astronema could do that would prove her good faith?" Andros ignored Ashley's comment entirely. "No one else believes that she's telling the truth. I'm not even sure I believe it--and even if I did," he continued, before Ashley could interrupt, "we could never act on it. There's no way to convince Eltare that its greatest enemy wants to defect, and we can't decide the course of the war without the support of this planet."

Ashley subsided. No one else said anything.

"You just answered the question for us," Zhane pointed out quietly. "There's no way to convince Eltare. So, no. There's nothing Astronema can do to prove her good faith."

"If she--" Karen stopped, then shook her head. "No, never mind."

"No," Carlos agreed.

"Even if she blasted her way out of the monarchy and volunteered her forces in service to the Free Systems," TJ said firmly, "I'd still suspect her. And so would every patrol wing and defense unit we have."

"So, that's a no?" Zhane inquired.

TJ threw him an exasperated look, and Zhane shrugged. "I was just asking."

"What if she freed a Border planet?" Cassandra said unexpectedly. "A whole system? And held it? Would that convince us?"

Everyone looked at her. Zhane got it first. "You mean, if she didn't ask anything of us. If she just struck out on her own and let us think whatever we wanted."

Cassandra nodded.

"Yes," Ashley said in a small voice. No one jumped on her. She was Astronema's most vocal--and typically only--defender. The other Rangers never derided her for it, but this time they were unusually quiet.

"Maybe," Karen agreed finally.

"She hasn't," Carlos pointed out. "And she's not going to. So what does it matter?"

"It matters because the question is whether or not there's anything she could do. If there's nothing, then her message is meaningless and nothing has changed," Andros told him.

"Not meaningless," TJ realized. "Not if there's some kind of gathering of forces to back it up--either to convince us or to ambush us, it doesn't really matter. It's a strategic shift toward the border. That's why we're talking about Earth, isn't it?"

Andros nodded.

Carlos was studying him. "Is your plan based on the assumption that she's lying, then?"

Andros gave him a slightly superior look. "My plan is based on the assumption that someone in power in the monarchy sent that message and intends to follow through with it in some way," he informed Carlos. "Whether it's true or not, whether it's even from Astronema or not doesn't really matter."

"Well, it's good to have plans that don't depend on pesky things like the truth," Karen said dryly. "Can we go to bed now?"

Andros glanced around, but no one wanted to be the one to further postpone the end of the day. "Go ahead," he agreed, when no one else jumped in. "Tell your neighbors thanks for the cake, TJ."

Amused, Zhane caught his eye through the shuffle of motion that followed his dismissal. "You didn't even try any," he reminded Andros.

Andros shrugged, wandering over to the table. "So? Is it any good?"

Zhane reached out and scooped some frosting from the top of the cake plate. Andros caught his hand licked the frosting off his finger. Tilting his head to one side, he pretended to give the flavor serious consideration. "Okay," he said at last. "Good enough for me. Is it time for bed yet?"

"You go," Zhane told him. "I'm going to stay and help TJ clean up."

"Oh, plates." Andros grimaced at the idea, but he wasn't leaving. "I'll help." He pointed behind his back at Ashley, still curled up at the end of the couch. "Don't get up. We'll do it."

"This is me," Ashley said with a yawn. "Protesting vigorously."

"This is me," Karen added from the door, "thanking people who care for washing our plates. Good night guys."

"Thanks," Carlos added, his hand in hers as they went to leave. "Night."

"Good night," TJ called over his shoulder.

There was another chorus of "good night"s for Cassandra, for whom Ashley actually made the effort of pulling herself up off the couch and following out into the hangar. Their private conversation left Andros and Zhane alone in the lounge with TJ and dishes that were coated with easily-removed sugar. They were done before Ashley returned.

"Thanks for putting together that message for Justin," Andros told TJ, as they got ready to leave.

TJ waved it away. "No problem. I'll send it to everyone on the team, too, so we all know what's going on."

"Happy whatever holiday it is," Zhane told him, and TJ just grinned.

"Good night," Andros said, his tiredness evident now as it hadn't been before.

Zhane echoed him and TJ just waved, apparently planning to stay and work on Justin's message from here. They picked up Ashley out in the hangar: Cassandra had left, but their roommate was entranced by the bots again. She fell into step beside them as soon as they emerged, and the three of them headed for the teleportal and home.

4. Fuzzy Bunnies

"How come he didn't call us?" Karen's voice from the comm was indignant at her supposed exclusion in a way only she could be. Everyone else was happier not to hear from Justin, all things considered.

"I mean, I'm over there in that other dimension too, right?" Karen continued. "Maybe I know something! I might have valuable information! Did he ever think of that?"

Carlos checked the time and ran a hand through his hair, insuring that it was no neater than usual. He found that deliberately maintaining the tousled look made it easier to get in and out of the water throughout the day without looking like he had just gotten out of the water. He rarely wore anything but native clothing when he was on Aquitar now, and the material shucked water convincingly. It was just him that got wet.

"I think we should have some kind of Ranger message board," Karen was saying. "I want a place where I can go and catch up on all the latest gossip without having to rely on you people to pass it on!"

That, Carlos took exception to. "You people?" he repeated, looking around for his phone. Kerone had waterproofed it for him months ago. "Do I look like 'you people' to you? I was the one who called you, remember!"

"I'm talking about a failure of communication that goes back long before this particular incident," Karen informed him. "Because I've definitely been kept in the dark about the Kerovan Rangers. Did you know they have a kid? Where was gossip central when that little piece of information was getting passed over?"

He frowned at his phone, trying to figure out how he could possibly have a message waiting when it hadn't been out of his hearing range all morning. "A what?" he asked, checking his "missed calls" list for any clue that it was worth it to dial his voice mail from a different galaxy.

"A kid!" Karen exclaimed. "A child! A three-year-old running around the Kerovan hangar! Why wasn't I warned about this?"

He was staring at his phone, which was singularly unhelpful when he was on Aquitar because it listed everyone from Earth--that being everyone who would actually use a phone to communicate with him--as "intergalactic." He reminded himself that it wasn't designed to function as a mobile intergalactic communication center. It shouldn't work here at all, but a side effect of Billy's phone tap for his communicator was that it could in fact connect to Earth in an emergency.

Finally Karen's complaint registered, and he looked up in surprise. "Did you just say Andros and Ashley adopted a kid?"

"No," Karen told him. "I said there was a kid running around the hangar. I've been told he wasn't formally adopted, or informally adopted, or adopted in any way. He just showed up one day and now they're taking care of him."

"Uh..." Carlos tried to think of anything remotely relevant to say in response. "Why?"

"Because Astronema told them to!" Karen said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Of course! I have no idea what's going on around here!"

Carlos couldn't help grinning at her dramatic indignation. She was in her element when she had something to make a fuss over, and when she didn't she made something up. "Kerone told Andros and Ashley to adopt a kid?"

"No, not Kerone. Astronema. Seriously, Astronema from JT's dimension showed up with this kid and was like, 'here. Good luck.' And then she disappeared again."

Before Carlos could process this she added, "And it's not so much Andros and Ashley's kid as it is... everyone's. Everyone's taking turns taking care of him, watching him, trying to get him to eat actual food instead of whatever he finds lying around."

"Wait, JT's Astronema contacted them?" Carlos demanded. "How come no one told us about this?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "That's what I want to know!"

"This morning Justin called and said JT needed some information about the Eternal Falls," Carlos said, repeating what he had already told her. "There was nothing about Astronema or kids or prior contacts."

"I think we're out of the loop," Karen remarked solemnly.

"Yeah..." Carlos was starting to agree. "There's more going on than we know about, isn't there."

"That's not even the half of it." Karen, it seemed, was just beginning. "So there's a kid, right? There's also a hangar full of intelligent zords that do everything but talk, a public relations agent who might as well live here, and I'm seriously confused about the relationships around here."

That got his attention. Ashley had stopped talking about Andros at all for several months, to the point where she would tell him to change the subject if it came up in conversation. Lately, though, she had been able to say his name without wincing. The last time they'd talked she had happily related the details of a date the two of them had gone on the week before, and Carlos assumed that meant they were on the road to recovery.

"Is this one of those things you knew about but didn't share?" Karen asked, apparently suspicious of the sharp look he had given her. "I guess I wouldn't blame you if Ashley swore you to silence, but really. Talk about surprised."

The door chimed, and Carlos opened his mouth. He really, really wanted to press the subject. But he knew who was at the door, and he wasn't sure he wanted to ask questions in front of Aura. He also didn't want her to think he was keeping secrets from her--especially with Karen. So, in the end, it was his curiosity that had to be sacrificed.

"Come in," he called, and he heard the lock click when she keyed in her code. "Aura's here," he told the screen. "We're gonna head out, see if Cestria's willing to send some stuff to Justin."

"Cool," Karen agreed. When he looked over his shoulder to smile in welcome, she added, "Hi Aura."

Aura moved into the camera's range, inclining her head slightly. "Greetings," she replied. "I am told you are on an extended visit to the Kerova system?"

"Sure am!" Karen said cheerfully. "It's even weirder than I expected! And let me tell you, I expected a lot. KERI says it's a good learning experience for a planet-bound Ranger." She rolled her eyes to show what she thought of that statement.

"This is doubtless true," Aura answered. She either hadn't noticed or was pretending not to see Karen's sarcasm. "I trust you will learn a great deal during your stay on KO-35."

"Yeah, I'm sure I will too," Karen said dryly. "I'm just not sure how much of it I'll be able to share when I leave."

"Maybe this will teach you that aliens aren't all sugar and fuzzy bunnies." He really tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't contain his smirk when Karen gave him a withering look. He held up his hands in self-defense. "I'm just saying, join the club, all right?"

That made her laugh. "Yeah, yeah... Mr. Intergalactic Traveler, here. We'll compare notes later. Good luck at the Eternal Falls, guys."

"Thanks. Stay out of trouble," Carlos told her.

She smirked right back at him. "I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

The transmission ended and he was left staring at a Ranger-colored pawprint. The Aquitian logo replaced it a moment later. "Well, that's not exactly reassuring," he told the comm interface.

"Fuzzy bunnies?" Aura's tone was flat, and the "she's not happy" alert went off in his mind.

"Yeah, you know..." Playing dumb probably wouldn't get him anywhere, so he picked the most likely interpretation of her question and went with it. "Cute little innocent fluffy things that have no purpose in life except to make more cute fluffy things. Karen has kind of an idealized vision of aliens," he added, by way of clarification.

"I see." The words said she did, the expression said she didn't.

"Come on," he coaxed, not totally sure what she was upset about. "You have to admit, there's no way Cetaci could be considered cute and fluffy."

That drew a reluctant smile, though she pointed out, "Cetaci likes Karen. It is possible that, in the absence of the one constant to which the rest of us are accustomed, Karen has indeed been misled regarding the true nature of offworlders."

"See? That's probably it," Carlos agreed. "KO-35 will be good for her. She'll have to deal with Andros."

"They are hardly comparable," Aura murmured.

"It's true, Andros sulks quietly," he admitted. Cetaci, in contrast, lashed out at anyone who happened to be around when things didn't go the way she wanted. "But it doesn't make him any easier to get along with. Believe me, I've had to live with both of them."

Aura gave him an arch look. "If you are trying to elicit sympathy from me, I must point out that Ashley is nothing compared to Delphinius."

Carlos opened his mouth, considered that, and finally he had to grin. "Okay, you win that one. At least Ashley makes Andros easier to deal with instead of harder."

"As opposed to Delphinius, who deliberately provokes Cetaci to the point where she will quit the team altogether."

He held up a hand, pointing at her. "Technically, that was Cestria."

"Cestria only said the words," Aura corrected. "Almost all of Cetaci's actions, especially as regards the Rangers, can be directly or indirectly attributed to Delphinius."

"I'm sure she'd really appreciate hearing that," Carlos said dryly.

Without a moment's pause, Aura replied, "I am sure she would not."

He grinned at her, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk. "Shall we go?" she suggested innocently.

He glanced at his phone once more before setting it down. Whoever had called him, they could at least wait until he was back on the planet. "After you," he told Aura, gesturing toward the door.

They made their way to the control room, that being the only easy way out of the Ranger living quarters, and found the very people they'd been talking about already there. They weren't working, though, and it took Carlos a moment to figure out what was going on. With the universe finally settling into the more predictable patterns of peace, the control room was empty as often as not these days... but it wasn't usually a place the Rangers came to socialize.

Delphinius didn't even look up when the door opened, but Cetaci gave them a passing glance and Carlos tried to stifle a laugh. One of the White Ranger's favorite rules was "no sitting on the consoles!" yet there she was, perched on top of a status console with her feet dangling below, ankles crossed and swinging slightly as though she didn't have a care in the world. Out of uniform, not even wearing her color, she looked less like the leader of the Rangers and more like a teenage girl playing hooky with her boyfriend.

"What are you doing?" Aura asked curiously.

"Thank you," Carlos said aloud, eyeing Delphinius' intense concentration with no small amount of suspicion. The only reason the two Rangers hadn't managed to take over the world yet was because they spent more time arguing with each other than anything else. He was a little worried about what they might be able to do if they ever coexisted peacefully for more than a few minutes at a time. "I was wondering whether I should ask that."

The Black Ranger didn't answer, which only made Carlos more nervous about what he was doing. Sure, it looked harmless enough. It looked like he was drawing a tattoo around Cetaci's wrist with a pen. But Carlos had found that the more innocent these particular Rangers looked, the greater the chances were that they were up to something sinister.

"Delphinius is practicing his artwork," Cetaci answered for them both. "The two of you are leaving early," she added, before either of them could reply. "Are you on your way to the Eternal Falls already?"

He and Aura exchanged glances. "Well, Aura's driving," Carlos said at last. "So we have to leave time for at least two flit violations on the way."

That drew a response from Delphinius, though he still didn't look up. "They won't stop a Ranger," he muttered, his concentration apparently not enough to keep him from defending pilot "creativity."

"Yeah, and you're as bad as she is," Carlos informed him. Delphinius wasn't big on flits, but his fighter menaced the spacelanes on a regular basis.

Delphinius lifted his pen and drew back for a moment, studying the design he was creating. "There was a time," he mused, "when I would not have considered that the compliment that I do now." He turned to catch Aura's eye, and there was a smile on his face when he inclined his head in her direction.

Cetaci lifted her hand when he looked away, inspecting the design for herself. Carlos recognized Aquitian lettering when she turned her wrist, and he tried to get a better look at it without being too obvious. It was hard enough to read their alphabet when it was printed on a screen in front of him.

"I will endeavor to live up to your expectations," Aura was telling him gravely, and Carlos snorted.

"Live down to them, you mean. Your piloting has taken years off my life," he accused. "I have to be a Ranger, because it's the only thing more exciting than going places with you. I've been desensitized to adrenaline."

"As I have been desensitized to the human tendency to complain about things they clearly enjoy," Aura replied. "It's an annoying but inevitable consequence of close association."

"Careful," Carlos warned. "Billy's at the Eternal Falls too. Our numbers will be even. You won't be able to get away with comments like that."

Aura gave him an amused look. "You say that as though you allow me to get away with them in any circumstance."

"Back home, we call that 'asking for it'," Carlos remarked. "I guess that's an Aquitian tendency."

"I suspect it's a Ranger tendency," Delphinius interjected dryly.

Cetaci made a sound of disbelief. "Considering the disposition you started with, there's nothing you can do to convince me that becoming a Ranger made you more reckless."

"Given that my alleged recklessness is second only to yours, I have no doubt that's true," Delphinius agreed.

"I think we'll go now," Carlos said. He was sure the conversation could only go downhill from here. Past experience told him that this was as close to coming out on top as he could hope for, and he'd be better off to cut his losses and get out while he still could.

"Agreed," Aura said quickly. And she had been doing better than he had.

They managed to make it out of the control room without the sounds of an argument following them, which was more than Carlos had expected. Cetaci must be in an unusually good mood today. Or maybe Delphinius had some ulterior motive for not provoking her. With them it was almost impossible to tell who started it, but the rest of them tried to enjoy the rare moments of peace.

He asked Aura about the letters on Cetaci's wrist while they traveled to the launch bay, but she hadn't been able to read them either. She did identify the wrist design itself as a school tradition--something like exchanging class rings, if he understood what she meant. Not something adults typically did, but then, Cetaci and Delphinius were nothing if not atypical.

They made it to the Rey field at the base of the Eternal Falls without a single violation, which Aura didn't forget to point out to him. He teased her about getting soft, getting tired of adrenaline, going too easy on the traffic grid. He got it right back about passenger seat driving, contradictory complaints, and a reminder that it had taken him three times as long to get his diver license as it had her. He still wasn't authorized to pilot a flit.

They would have to walk, no matter where they left the flit, but Aura's Ranger clearance got them closer than they would have been otherwise. Cestria met them at the bottom of the path, as though she had known which one they would take--and she must have, but Carlos had never been able to figure out how she did it. No matter which direction he came from, she was always waiting when he arrived. He had asked her about it once, and the only explanation he had gotten was, "I'm the keeper."

He didn't push it. There was a time when he would have looked for cameras, motion detectors, anything that would justify her benignly impressive ability. Now he just accepted her answer at face value. It was nice to think there might still be magic in the world, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out otherwise.

Cestria led them through the tropical environment that existed behind the falls, past visitors, around plants and pools, and into the maze of caves that wound through solid stone. The rumble of the water was muted here, growing quieter the deeper they went, until finally it was a nothing but a low growl at the edge of his hearing. Still no one said anything until they stepped into one of the data archives that Cestria maintained--the atmosphere of the falls was pervasive, and it wasn't a place people came to talk.

"Welcome," she repeated quietly, turning to face them with a smile. She gestured to the cushions piled up against an otherwise unoccupied wall. "Will you sit?"

Carlos grabbed one for Aura and two for himself, and Cestria waited for them to settle themselves before she sat gracefully on the bare stone. "Billy was called away on a matter of personal importance," she offered, by way of explanation. "He may join us later."

"A matter of technical importance?" Aura suggested.

Cestria smiled again, lowering her head in acknowledgement. "Indeed. I'm afraid he still finds the atmosphere here... a little too mystical, as he puts it. As I am learning to be a technician, so too is he learning to be a spiritualist."

"It's a combination that has served Aquitar well in the past," Aura said quietly. "I have no doubt that it will continue to do so."

"We are not the only native-alien couple to benefit the planet," Cestria pointed out, looking from Aura to Carlos and back again. "Cetaci tells me you are on yet another quest for life-saving information?"

"Incurable do-gooders," Carlos put in. "That's us."

"You remember the dimension from which Carlos' counterpart came, earlier this year?" Aura asked. "He came from a universe at war, in which the border has been overrun and many Rangers have retreated to the center of League space to make their stand."

"I remember," Cestria agreed calmly. "If I understood the situation correctly, Aquitar had been cut off from the rest of the League in this dimension."

"This system and all surrounding systems--including the Sol system," she said, glancing at Carlos, "were occupied by the forces of evil. Aquitar invoked an ancient protection of the falls and... disappeared. The soldiers occupying it were lost, by all reports, and no contact has been established with the planet or anyone on it since."

Cestria nodded slowly. "I am familiar with the concept of such a protection," she admitted. "Such a thing has not been reliably documented since the time of Ninjor, and certainly there has been no mention of it in living memory."

"But you've heard of it." Carlos had had the concept explained to him, albeit reluctantly and piecemeal, by the Aquitian Rangers from the other dimension. After the way Aura had complained about it after he returned, he had thought she might have mentioned it to her teammate.

"I have," Cestria agreed. "When Aura told me that you had 'stolen' our planet, I did some research into possible explanations."

Of course she had mentioned it. In the least flattering light possible, too, what else could he expect? "Thanks for passing that along," he told her, narrowing his eyes at her in a mock threat.

Aura radiated innocence. "It was my pleasure."

He was sure it had been. "So is there any way to contact them?" Carlos asked. "In the other dimension, I mean. Is there any way for Rangers from the League to contact your Rangers here--on Aquitar in the other dimension?"

"There is." Cestria didn't elaborate, studying him curiously instead. "To what end?"

Carlos winced. "I knew you were going to ask that," he said with a sigh.

"Andros has a strategy," Aura offered. She hesitated, then added, "A strategy which is either tactically brilliant or utterly catastrophic, depending on whether or not the universe favors him."

That made Cestria smile. "As so many of Andros' strategies are, then. Historically speaking, the universe does appear to be biased in his favor."

"Andros' plan is basically to cause an uprising on Earth, retake the planet, and establish a new alliance with Aquitar to hold it," Carlos told her. "The theory is that Aquitar has had time to rebuild and is perfectly capable of defending two systems if it has to."

"It doesn't have to," Aura pointed out for what was probably the fifteenth time. He gave her an annoyed look and she added mildly, "but of course it would, if Earth asked."

"Do you think so?" Cestria seemed thoughtful. "The situation must have been drastic for our counterparts to consider such an option. They have, in effect, abandoned the rest of the universe to its fate. I wonder if their decision can be so easily reversed."

There was a moment of silence, and Carlos shifted uncomfortably. "Not to sound like I don't care, but that's not really our problem," he reminded them. "The Earth Rangers--the Astro Rangers," he corrected himself, "in the other dimension are responsible for making the case to Aquitar. We're just trying to find a way for them to talk."

Cestria inclined her head. "I can help you with that. Though I have no personal experience with the phenomenon you describe, I have records that should provide the appropriate answers."

"Can we be sure of who we're sending them to?" Aura wanted to know. "I would rather not deliver vital information on our counterparts' activities into the hands of their enemies."

They were both looking at him now.

"The information I got was a message recorded by TJ's counterpart and transmitted to Justin by JT," he told them. "I trust Justin when he says he knows where it came from, and I trust him when he says he can get it back to the same person."

This time it was Aura and Cestria who exchanged glances. "Your word is all the proof I require," Aura said at last.

"For me also," Cestria agreed, rising to her feet. "I will copy the relevant records."

TJ clipped his helmet and hung it over the handlebars, waiting while Tessa locked her bicycle into the bike rack. Her hair was braided into pigtails, so for once it stayed where it was when she took her helmet off. He smiled as she shook her head automatically, making the braids bounce against her shoulders.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait for Carlos?" she asked, catching his eye as she dropped her helmet onto her bike. "I know Gabe's part of the team and everything, but I don't know him that well. Maybe he'd rather talk to his brother."

"He'd have told us," TJ said confidently. "I've known Gabe almost as long as I've known Carlos, and he doesn't mess around. If he says he can show us where it's at in the other dimension? He'll show us."

"Fair enough," she said with a shrug. "At least I got a bike ride out of it."

TJ laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they headed for the dojo's front door. "I know how to get you to go along with these crazy plans. I just appeal to the athlete within."

Tessa only smiled, holding out a hand to push the dojo door open when they approached. Saturday night was "open dojo" at Quest Karate, so there were a fair number of people inside despite the lack of formal classes going on. TJ glanced around for Gabe, or failing that, for Rocky, but neither of them were immediately visible.

He took idle note of the other people, either practicing or working out, automatically noting the higher belt ranks and separating those he recognized from those he didn't in his mind. He hadn't been around as much lately, and there were a surprising number of new faces. Strange to see so late on a Saturday, when it was mostly the regulars who came by.

His eye settled on a woman, probably student age, performing a kata with sais in front of the mirror. A black belt, possibly an advanced one. He had never seen her before.

"Hey, guys." Gabe had appeared beside them while he was scanning the floor, his bare feet silent on the tile. "Everything good?"

"Hey man!" TJ clasped his hand. "Good to see you staying off the streets."

"Yeah, well, someone handed me this research project," Gabe drawled, grinning back at him. "Rocky says we can use the office, if you want to come on back."

"Great," TJ agreed. He cast his gaze over the room once more as they followed Gabe, and he saw the black belt with the sais finish her kata, bow to an imaginary opponent, and lift her head so that she was looking straight at him. Her gaze slid away again almost at once, but he was frowning thoughtfully when he stepped into Rocky's office.

"You mind closing the door?" Gabe asked, and Tessa pulled it shut behind her obediently. "Thanks," he said with an easy smile. "This place is as much a ninja stronghold as it is a Ranger one, but we have plenty of regular people training here too."

"How many ninjas are there?" Tessa wanted to know. "In Angel Grove, I mean. You said you ended up at the academy because Rocky recommended you, but I didn't realize it was more than just him and you."

Probably because it had been enough of a surprise to find out that the Ninja Ranger team, of which three of the former Turbos had been a part, had been connected to an underground, interplanetary system of schools called the ninja academies. Gabe had taken up the Blue astromorpher less than a week ago, to fill the gap left by Karen's absence, and he had explained his association with the academies before he did so. To prevent conflicting loyalties, he said.

On Rocky's recommendation, Gabe had been accepted to a ninja academy while he was still in junior high. He had spent five years training with them, and apparently the certified first degree black belt he had earned through Quest was only one of several similar achievements within the academy system. He was, TJ suspected, one of the most experienced fighters to ever join an Earth Ranger team.

"There's a significant number of ninjas in Angel Grove, actually." Gabe made it sound like he wasn't really correcting her, just passing on an interesting piece of trivia. "Partly because there are two academies nearby, and partly because so much weird stuff happens here that it ends up drawing as many protectors as bad guys."

"How many is significant?" TJ asked, curious that he had avoided the question.

Gabe raised his eyebrows. "Did you look around when you came in?" When they nodded, he continued, "Almost half the people on the floor are ninjas or former Rangers. Some of them are both."

"I saw Adam out there," TJ remarked, trying to remember if there had been any other faces he associated with the Power.

"Yeah, he's waiting for Rocky to show." Gabe glanced at the clock, then added, "Kim's here too. She was the Pink Ranger before Kat?"

"Heard of her, never met her," TJ said, a little taken aback that Gabe was already more versed in Ranger history than he was. "You'll have to introduce us to all your Ranger contacts sometime."

"I think they're pretty much the same as yours." Gabe's grin made him look like his brother. "Kim just moved back here recently; you would have run into her eventually. The ninjas, on the other hand..."

He nodded toward the door, and TJ turned in time to see the woman who had been practicing with the sais push the door open and step inside. "This is Leanne Omino," Gabe's voice said from behind them. "Leanne, these are my friends, TJ Carter and Tessa McFarlan."

"Friends and teammates, I assume." Leanne flashed them a polite smile as she closed the door. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you too," TJ said, offering her his hand. Tessa murmured her own greeting, and Leanne shook hands with both of them.

"Everyone, have a seat," Gabe invited. He pulled Rocky's chair out from behind the desk and offered it to Tessa. TJ moved another chair away from the wall, and Leanne sat down at the other end of the desk in the chair typically used for student conferences.

"Leanne's a recent graduate of the Thunder Academy," Gabe told them, leaning against the edge of Rocky's desk. "She's teaching there this summer. She can tell you anything you need to know about academy defenses.

Glancing at Leanne, he added, "TJ and Tessa are the Red and Pink Earth Rangers. TJ was also an Astro Ranger and a Turbo Ranger, and he leads the Ranger team that I joined last week. They're looking for information to help their counterparts in a different dimension."

"So you said," Leanne replied. She studied both of them with frank curiosity and maybe the slightest bit of amusement. "Could you tell me a little more about this dimension? How do you know about it, what do you need to know... and why, exactly?"

"It's kind of a long story," TJ said with a rueful grin. "Basically, we have a friend on Eltare--how much do you know about the League?"

"That it exists," she said cryptically. "That the ninja academies are not unique to Earth, and that ninja teachers who want it can receive training in space travel and culture. It isn't something I've had a chance to take advantage of yet."

So, more informed than the average citizen. She didn't seem like someone who would appreciate having her knowledge underestimated, so he decided not to bother with the details. "One of the Turbo Rangers is running some experiments on Eltare," TJ told her. "He's found a way to communicate with and travel between different dimensions. One of those dimensions is a universe a lot like ours--except that evil's winning."

"Evil," Leanne repeated, frowning. "Astronema? Divatox? Dark ninjas? What do you mean when you say evil?"

"I mean Astronema, Divatox, the guy they're working for and the entire evil alliance they're a part of," TJ said firmly. "I don't know if there are any dark ninjas in it, but I wouldn't be surprised. They've taken over half the known worlds, including Earth and most of our neighbors."

Leanne was nodding slowly. Gabe must have told her some of this beforehand. "I assume the Power Rangers are gone?" she asked.

"Divatox beat the Turbo Rangers in that dimension. They barely managed to escape when they lost their powers, and Earth was taking while they were trying to find new ones. They're on Eltare now, with the Astro Power, and they're trying to find a way to free Earth."

"And you think the ninja academies can help," Leanne guessed, studying him.

"Actually, it was their idea," TJ said, with what he hoped was a disarming grin. "The Gabe in their dimension stayed behind on Earth, and he's in contact with the Astro Rangers on Eltare. They're hoping the ninjas can overthrow the occupation."

Leanne seemed to consider that. "Without knowing anything about the specifics," she said at last, "I'd say it's possible. The ninja academies have always been isolated, and if Earth were attacked the academies would probably be the last to fall. We have the skills, and depending on the size of the occupation, it's possible that we have the numbers."

"Gabe and Carlos think you can do it," TJ agreed. "In the other dimension. The bigger problem is keeping the occupation out once it's gone. Gabe says you're set up for ground fighting and guerrilla warfare. That leaves no defense against air strikes, atmospheric missiles, or orbital lasers."

Leanne shook her head, cutting him off before he could continue. "That's not true."

He frowned. "What?"

"We have air defense," Leanne answered. "We have things that can clear the atmosphere and we have vehicles that are equipped for a space battle. Whether we have pilots?" she added with a grimace. "Well, that's another matter."

TJ just stared at her. "You're kidding."

"You'd be surprised how hard it is to get international approval for training maneuvers in the upper atmosphere," Leanne said mildly. "When you're not the Power Rangers, that is."

"No, I mean about the ships." TJ flashed her a brief grin for the rebuke anyway. It was worth remembering. "My counterpart sent a message saying you had no airborne tech at all, let alone spaceships."

"We may not," Leanne admitted. He thought she relaxed incrementally, leaning back in her chair for the first time. "I don't know anything about this other dimension. All I know is what we have here."

TJ gave Gabe a questioning look. Carlos' younger brother had his arms folded across his chest, and he just shrugged when TJ looked at him. "Don't know anything about it," he answered.

"Most of the teachers don't," Leanne put in. "Only the ones that choose space training. All the senior teachers know, though, and the masters."

"And the masters' children?" Gabe suggested, his eyebrows raised.

Leanne just smiled.

"The ninja master who runs the Thunder Academy is Leanne's father," Gabe explained. "Sometimes she knows things she's not supposed to."

"Not like anyone else I could mention," Leanne countered. "Like people who train with Power Rangers?"

It was Gabe's turn to smile. "I guess we all have our sources," he said noncommittally.

"Is there any way we could see these vehicles?" TJ asked. "I don't want to violate any ninja codes, but it would help a lot if we knew what kind of force we're dealing with."

Leanne hesitated, her gaze going from him to Tessa and back. "Traditionally, we don't allow anyone but ninjas on academy grounds..." She shrugged suddenly. "We could probably make an exception for Power Rangers, though."

"We'll take any vow of secrecy you want," TJ offered.

This time Leanne shook her head. "No, it's all right. You're Gabe's teammates; that should be enough for my father. When would you like to see them?"

TJ exchanged looks with Tessa. "If we can't see them tonight," he said apologetically, "we're going to need as much information as you can give us in the meantime. I think they're under some pressure in the other dimension."

Leanne didn't even look surprised. "Tonight's fine," she agreed, sitting forward in her chair again. "If we're going to drive, we'd better start now. I'll answer whatever questions I can on the way."

"It might be better if we teleported," Gabe interjected. "If time's important, that'll be a lot faster. KERI can get coordinates for the town from a map, right?"

"Sure, but she won't be able to narrow down our landing site without a signal from one of us. She can scan for someplace without a lot of people, but there's no guarantee you'll recognize it when we get there."

"Gabe could do a visual search," Tessa offered, speaking for the first time since they'd all been introduced. "If we go up there, KERI can bring up locations for him until he finds one that's familiar."

"Would a beach name help?" Leanne asked. "Cassini Cove is usually pretty deserted. Maybe you could scan it or whatever you do to make sure?"

For answer, TJ tapped his communicator and lifted his wrist to speak into it. "KERI, would you look up a location for us and see if you can get coordinates?"

"What location do you need?" the Mega V computer replied immediately.

"It's a beach called Cassini Cove," TJ answered. He relayed the name of the town, and Leanne started to give directions. KERI's voice came back before she could finish.

"I have coordinates for Cassini Cove in Fairhaven," KERI told them. "I've pinpointed an unpopulated stretch, if you're looking for a place to teleport."

TJ saw Leanne and Gabe look at each other, and he grinned. "You're very good," he told his communicator. "Thanks, KERI. Are we ready to go?" he asked, lowering his wrist as he got to his feet and looked around.

Leanne and Tessa stood up too, and Leanne nodded. He caught Tessa's eye, then looked at Gabe. Carlos' brother straightened. "Let me just let Adam know I'm leaving. He can watch the dojo until Rocky gets here."

"Do you teleport often?" Leanne asked, while Gabe stepped out onto the floor. "I didn't even think of that."

"We don't usually use it unless there's an emergency," TJ answered. "We used to teleport more, when we had to get to fights every other day, or when we had to go back and forth from the Power Chamber."

"And the Megaship," Tessa added. "We use it to reach the zords."

Leanne nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder if you could teleport onto academy grounds," she mused.

"We're not going to?" TJ asked, surprised.

"Cassini Cove is a little more than a mile from the Thunder Academy. A lot of the Thunder ninjas park there so we don't end up with a bunch of vehicles sitting in the middle of nowhere--that's what the academy looks like from the outside. It's cloaked," Leanne added, in case they hadn't guessed.

"And shielded?" TJ surmised. "If you think we wouldn't be able to teleport in?"

"It's..." Leanne hesitated. "It is shielded, to some extent. I don't know enough about it to know whether it would keep out Ranger teleportation or not."

The door opened again, and Gabe slipped in. "I'm ready," he said, nodding to TJ.

"KERI," TJ told his communicator. "We have four to teleport."

"I'm sending you now," the AI replied, and the world burned away in swirling red fire.

The first thing he noticed when the reappeared was the air, cooler than the inside of the dojo against his skin. The second thing he noticed was the twilight, the shadows making the roar of the ocean sound more mysterious than it did during the day. Tessa stretched beside him, taking a deep breath, and he saw Leanne move out of the corner of his eye.

"Wow," the ninja remarked, sounding as impressed as she had since they'd met. "That was quite a rush."

"Still not used to it," Gabe admitted, shaking his hands out in front of him as though to reassure himself that they were still there. "It's not like streaking."

There was a startled silence, and TJ raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what?"

"Ninja streaking," Leanne said, a smile evident in her voice. "I know, it's an unfortunate name."

Gabe groaned. "I've gotten so used to it I don't even think about it anymore."

"It's the way we travel," Leanne explained, when Gabe didn't continue. "It's faster than driving... but not as fast as teleporting. It's called streaking because you can see a ninja who's doing it if you know what to look for. They look like a black streak as they go by."

"A really fast black streak," Gabe added. "I can't see people doing it unless I watch them from where they start."

"There are some advantages to growing up around ninjas," Leanne commented.

"Yeah, mostly involving repeated opportunities to show off," Gabe said blandly. "You want to tell us more about these spaceships while we walk?"

"They're not all spaceships," she cautioned. Leading them down the beach, Leanne explained that nine of the eighteen academies in existence on Earth had their own fleet of robotic assault vehicles--and a fleet apparently consisted of three. Traditionally, each was equipped to maneuver through one of the ninja elements, which meant that there was one flight vehicle per "fleet."

Nine spaceworthy fighting machines, TJ mused. Tessa had taken off her sneakers and was walking beside him, fingers curling through his when he clasped her hand absently. Nine wasn't such a bad number. They had defended Earth with less--still did, in fact. Without Zhane the sixth Mega V was in permanent drydock, leaving them with five zords to cover the entire planet.

It had been enough in the past.

Of course, the past had never involved a full-scale occupying force that had settled in for the duration and had reinforcements on call every hour of the day. It was a sobering thought and one worth keeping in mind. They weren't just trying to defend a planet. They were trying to free it, hold it, and repel ongoing invasion attempts.

By the time they reached the Thunder Academy, TJ felt like he had a sense of numbers if not a concrete concept of actual strength. The lack of pilot training bothered him, but he reminded himself that they couldn't assume the other dimension was anything like this one. The ninjas there probably had more piloting experience than they wanted.

Which led to another question: were these supposed "fleets" even in existence in the other dimension? If they did exist, how were they holding up? Had they been used during the invasion? Had they been destroyed? If Gabe was their ninja contact in the other dimension and he didn't know any more about the assault vehicles there than he did here, then of course he wouldn't have mentioned them. But why wouldn't he know? If the vehicles existed, why weren't they in use?

"The holographic entrance looks more intimidating than it is," Gabe was telling them. TJ looked around, but Gabe was standing on the edge of a cliff with no apparent "entrance" in sight. "Want to demonstrate?"

This last seemed to have been directed at Leanne, who walked out into thin air without a moment's hesitation. She turned to look back at them, held her arms out to the sides like a model, and then proceeded across the chasm to the cliff face on the other side. She didn't even slow down. She walked straight into the cliff and vanished in a flash of light.

TJ raised an eyebrow.

"Sensei Gabe."

He felt Tessa start at the disembodied voice, but after a quick study of their surroundings he nudged her and indicated the shadow ahead and to their right. As soon as he nodded toward it, it detached itself from the stone and turned into a black-clad human being. "Your visitors are expected, I assume?"

Gabe bowed respectfully. "I'm taking them to see Sensei Omino now, Sensei Cairn."

"As you say," the ninja guard replied, returning Gabe's bow. TJ didn't think he looked away, but suddenly the man was gone and he definitely hadn't seem him go. This time, no matter how closely he inspected the stone he couldn't identify a suspicious shadow.

"Time to go," Gabe said lightly. He stepped out into the air.

"Anything we should know about this?" TJ asked, staring at the drop skeptically.

"Just follow me," Gabe told them. "The drop is an illusion; there's solid stone from here to the ground. It keeps out casual trespassers."

"And not so casual ones, I bet," Tessa murmured. She followed him without further protest, and TJ held onto her hand as they walked tentatively across what looked like... nothing. Finally he lifted his gaze to the far side, finding it easier to accept if he didn't have to see it, and the next obstacle was stepping through solid stone.

He decided that after walking on air, walking through stone wasn't that big a deal.

The cliff vanished as soon as he stepped through it, revealing a hardy, windswept environment that smelled of ocean waves and salt spray. Leanne was waiting for them. "Nice place you have here," he told her, and she smiled.

"Thank you," she said seriously. "It's been my home as long as I can remember."

TJ decided to refrain from any more comments about the academy grounds.

The robotic assault vehicles were another matter entirely. Although Gabe had promised that they were on their way to see Sensei Omino, Leanne must have taken their warning about time to heart. She led them directly to a high tech underground bunker, pulled up specs on the fleet--which TJ had to admit meant little to him--and finally led them to see the vehicles in person.

They were battle-ready, there was no question about that. The specs had made enough of an impression that actually seeing the vehicles was more than convincing. "You have zord-quality machinery here," he remarked aloud.

"I'm pretty sure they were designed to work with morphers," Leanne agreed, leaning on the railing high above one of the assault vehicle bays. "I've never seen them in action, but I know what they can do."

For what had to be several minutes, they all contemplated the awesome display of power laid out below them. TJ was trying to decide what questions his counterpart was most likely to ask when Tessa inquired, "How do you hide something like this?"

"Holographic technology," Leanne answered. "Like the entryway." She paused, then shrugged a little. "Or so they tell me. It's not really my field of study."

"What about when they leave?" Tessa pressed. "You mentioned piloting... you must have some kind of cover for your practice runs?"

"You'd think," Leanne said dryly. "If we do, I don't know what it is. Like I said, only teachers in space training are even supposed to know about these, let alone have access to them. I don't how often they roll out of here, or even if they do at all."

"Who maintains them?" TJ wanted to know.

Leanne shrugged again. "Sorry. I'll introduce you to my father, if you like. He should be able to answer your questions."

TJ nodded, pushing away from the railing reluctantly. "We'd better talk to him. Thanks for giving us a tour."

"Yeah, thanks," Gabe put in. "I had no idea what I was missing."

"My pleasure," Leanne said with a smile. "Any excuse to bend the rules."

TJ exchanged glances with Tessa, and he saw her stifle a giggle. "Now why does that sound so familiar?" he wondered aloud.

Gabe snorted. "Look in a mirror before you look at me, bro."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a lot like Carlos?" TJ wanted to know.

"You're only the million and first."

Tessa raised her hand. "Million and second," she commented.

Gabe appealed to Leanne. "Can we go now?"

She chuckled, tossing her hair over one shoulder. "Next stop," she declared. "Ninja Master Omino."

5. Deeper Worth

"So, let me get this straight," Karen said, eyeing Kristet skeptically. "You don't remember, like... anything I told you yesterday?"

"I remember what you told me," Kristet told the mirror, holding up a long-sleeved blouse in front of her and eyeing the effect critically. "I don't remember when you told me, no."

"The longer you know her, the less she knows about you," Ashley called from behind the curtain. "That's what I find, anyway."

They were on a shopping trip in the middle of some city Karen had never heard of, which included every city on KO-35 except Keyota, and they were supposed to be finding clothes for tonight's party. Or at least, that was the excuse that Ashley had given for the excursion. Between her and Kristet, they'd dragged her into almost every building lining the street where they'd parked, and not all of them had sold clothing.

"I know plenty about you," Kristet was saying. "You're lucky I have journalistic scruples."

"Yeah, right!" Ashley's voice exclaimed. "You're the least scrupulous reporter I know! That's why we hired you, remember?"

"No," Kristet replied, still studying her reflection in the mirror. "If it didn't happen today, you'll have to tell me again."

The curtain slid out of the way and Ashley stepped out, striking a pose that was apparently meant to be dramatic. "What do you think?" she asked with a giggle. The disturbing part was that the drama was absolutely perfect on her, like she couldn't look ridiculous even when she tried.

Kristet had turned around to inspect the dress. "I think you have enough people falling over themselves with jealousy when you wear your uniform," she announced. "That dress is only going to make it worse."

"Really?" Ashley brightened. "So I should get it, right?"

Kristet smiled, shaking her head. "You should definitely get it," she agreed, turning back to the mirror with a different blouse.

"Deeper colors," Ashley called over her shoulder, turning in a circle to admire her new dress from all directions. "What have I told you about deeper colors?"

"I have no idea," Kristet answered wryly. "What have you told me about deeper colors?"

"Sometimes she really can't remember," Ashley told Karen. "Other times she just pretends she can't because she knows we can't tell the difference."

"Do you know how much I know about fashion?" Kristet asked, as though Ashley hadn't said anything. "I know what other people are wearing. That's it. And that's usually enough. You don't have to look spectacular to be a reporter. You just have to look as good as the best-dressed person you're interviewing."

"Which means you have to look as good as me, right?" Ashley gave her a disarming smile, and Karen couldn't help but laugh. "What? You're the only one who could outdo me, and we have totally different styles."

This last was clearly directed at Karen, who held up her hands in surrender. "I was just laughing to see your designer sense come out again. I think you have to worry more about Kerone than me."

"I don't think Kerone's going tonight." Ashley's cheerful expression dimmed a little, a thoughtful look settling over her face. "Ty offered to watch Kae, but I don't think she's going to take him up on it."

"It's better to have Ty in the spotlight than Kerone," Kristet remarked, eyeing the dress Ashley held out to her with skepticism. "I don't think a dress is the most practical choice."

"If you find one you like, you won't care," Ashley replied.

"After months with the Power Rangers, haven't you learned to fight in whatever you're wearing?" Karen wanted to know. "Seriously, they could have Ranger competitions for who can look the best after hand-to-hand combat."

"With different categories for starting appearance and number of opponents," Ashley agreed immediately. She paused. "Hey, maybe we should have special sparring sessions where we work out in nice clothes! It'd be more realistic, right?"

Kristet was looking from one to the other oddly. "You're not expecting an attack tonight, are you? Something else I've forgotten?"

"No," Ashley assured her with a laugh. "Just trying to come up with new ways to drive Andros crazy, that's all."

"You're the one who said a dress wasn't practical," Karen reminded her. "What are you expecting?"

"I'm expecting a KPD social," Kristet said with a sigh, "which will involve intense memorization on my part just before it starts while I try to catch up with everyone's changing titles and latest projects and accomplishments."

"Try the dress on," Ashley prompted. "The more stunning you look the less people will notice if you forget something, and I say use any advantage you have."

"So, wait." Karen frowned at Kristet. "You can memorize all that stuff, but you can't remember... what can't you remember? I don't get it."

Kristet and Ashley exchanged glances. "It's not that I don't remember," Kristet said at last. "It's just that I don't remember in the right order. I remember people's names and titles... but I don't have any way of knowing which of those names and titles are the most recent."

"So the more she knows about you the less she can remember," Ashley repeated. "Like, she knows that three people have taught me telekinesis, but I bet she doesn't remember which of them is doing it now."

Karen glanced at Kristet, who shrugged. "I could find out," she said, taking her dress and retreating behind the curtain.

"Sure, and she's way more organized than any of us," Ashley said with a laugh. "She doesn't tell many people 'cause she doesn't have to. Her filing system is, like, an extension of her brain."

Karen caught the unspoken warning nonetheless. "Well, I sure wouldn't have known," she said, abandoning the topic. "Anything else I should know not to mention tonight?"

"Kae." Ashley was playing with her hair in front of the mirror, lifting it off her shoulders and pulling it away from her face. "And basically the less any of us say about Ranger policy, the better. You're lucky that way, you can just say you don't know and everyone will believe you."

"Because it's true," Karen said, rolling her eyes. "I have no idea what you guys are up to around here."

Ashley grinned impishly at her. "See? You really are lucky."

"Yeah," Kristet's voice called from behind the curtain. "They don't know either, but at least you're saved the stress of having to make something up as you go."

"I thought that's why we had you," Ashley called back. "To cover for us!"

"Was that in my contract?" Kristet's voice asked.

Ashley winked at Karen. "Yes," she answered, and the innocence in her tone was clearly feigned.

"I'm sure there was some sort of loophole that allowed for access by other Rangers," Kristet remarked. "Not to mention residential guests. As I recall, Ty's sister was a lot more informed than I would have liked."

Ashley sighed, a look of amused resignation on her face. "The other problem with her memory is that she doesn't remember which things she agreed to let go." This last was directed over her shoulder at the curtain behind which Kristet was changing.

"For all I know, that could have happened yesterday," Kristet retorted. "And it was a serious thing. People care who your friends and family are, Ashley. Just because they're not allowed to interview you in your time off..."

"Yeah, I know." Ashley made a face. "I promise, you gave us this lecture before. Several times."

The curtain slid back and Kristet wanted to know, "Did you listen?"

"Ooh..." Ashley studied her outfit as though she hadn't even asked a question. "That's really nice. You could even go a little smaller, if you wanted to."

Kristet gave her an incredulous look, although whether for her evasion of the question or the statement it was hard to tell. "This is fine. I'll hear it from my husband for making him look bad as it is."

"I don't think that'll be his first reaction," Ashley said cheerfully. "So we're all set, right? Karen, do you want to keep shopping? You could use way more clothes than either of us."

Karen gave her head a decisive shake. "I'm pretty much over clothes shopping, thanks. I could go for some food, though, if there's anywhere around here to eat."

"Sure!" Ashley was already reaching for the back of her dress as she headed for the privacy curtain. "Kristet, you look great," she added. "Take the dress."

Kristet looked torn. "Do you know how expensive this is?"

"I told you this trip was on me," Ashley reminded her. She disappeared behind the curtain, but she didn't stop talking. "By the middle of the afternoon, everyone in the city will know we were here, and by tonight, they'll know exactly who designed that dress and where to get one of their own. Trust me when I say you're doing the woman a favor by letting me get it for you."

"She's not even here," Kristet protested, glancing toward the screens that gave their fitting area a measure of privacy. "What if she didn't want to sell this one?"

"Then she wouldn't have left it for us," Ashley called. "The only reason Laura's not here is because I didn't know we were coming until this morning. She's an awesome designer, she knows what I like, and you can have the dress. Okay?"

Kristet still hesitated. "If she left it for you, are you sure she'd want--"

"Yes," Ashley interrupted, loudly enough that she drowned out the rest of Kristet's question. "You don't see Karen having a crisis about her clothes, do you?"

"She's a Ranger," Kristet pointed out, glancing at her.

Ashley peeked out from behind the curtain, rolling her eyes at Karen. "You'd think we'd never gone shopping together before," she complained.

"Nowhere this..." Kristet trailed off, still looking around.

"Private?" Ashley suggested helpfully, disappearing again. "Fancy? Exclusive?"

"Exclusive," Kristet repeated. "I don't have personal designers, Ashley."

From behind the curtain, Ashley laughed. "She's a personal designer, not my personal designer. I'm going to ask her to send things to your house if you don't stop arguing."

No one could stand against an irresistible force like Ashley for long. "Fine," Kristet said with a sigh. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ashley answered immediately, as though the thanks had been anything other than grudging. But Karen saw the way Kristet looked at the mirror, and the small smile on her face as she turned away, and she guessed that Ashley knew what she was doing.

"No Girls' Day Out for you?"

She'd been expecting the voice that filtered down from the open hatch at the top of her zord cockpit. She and Kae had watched Zhane approach on the forward screen, and the boy had even played with the magnification controls to improve their view. He was startlingly quick--but no matter how expected Zhane was, he still twitched at the Silver Ranger's sudden presence.

"I don't need any more clothes," Kerone answered, keeping her voice quiet and soothing as she stepped back toward the hatch. Lifting her face to stare straight up, she smiled at Zhane's expression. "I'm surprised you didn't go with them. You like the acquisition process."

"Yeah, for other people," he said lightly. "Besides, someone has to run the world while they're out buying it up."

"Oh, is Andros handling that, then?" She blinked up at him with pretended earnestness, and he grinned back.

"Five," a childish voice interrupted.

Zhane looked surprised but Kerone turned back to Kae quickly, having learned what that particular word preceded. "Okay," she said lightly, putting her hands on her shoulders to warn him. "Time for a change of scenery."

"Five," he insisted, in a louder tone. "Five!"

"Magic, we're going outside," she told her zord. "Zhane, we'll meet you on the hillside."

"But isn't he--"

The rest of Zhane's reaction was drowned on by Kae's shriek. "Five!" he screamed. "Five! Five! Fi--"

The violet glow of teleportation surrounded them, and the cockpit disappeared. The hillside reformed around them a moment later. Kae cowered against her, his hysteria gone in split-second as he mumbled, "Five," before hiding his face.

Zhane swung down from behind Magic's ear a moment later, pretending to stumble over the cat's paw as he joined the two of them in front of her zord. "Sorry 'bout that," he apologized, somewhat comically, giving the cat a rakish grin.

Kerone smiled indulgently. She patted Kae's hair soothingly, absently, watching Zhane's show of embarrassment and wondering what she had done to merit his performance today. She didn't mind; he was funny when he was "on." But it was a deliberately assumed facade, from his supposed clumsiness to his pretended rue when addressing the zord. Maybe it was just the mood he was in.

"So," Zhane said cheerfully, turning to her and Kae. "Math's not going to be your favorite subject, huh?"

Kae didn't budge, face still hidden, giving no indication that he'd heard.

"It's not the actual number," Kerone offered, looking down at the boy who clung to her. "Or if it is, I can't figure out where he's getting it from. That's the third time today, and I don't know why it's happening."

Zhane frowned, following her gaze. "The third time he's said 'five', you mean? Has he said anything else? That's the first time I've heard him say anything that sounds like a real word. In our language, anyway."

"He starts by just saying it, but he ends up screaming and banging on things," Kerone said with a sigh. "I hate to scare him, but this is the only way I've been able to calm him down."

"Bringing him outside?" Zhane asked, lifting his eyes to hers. She felt guilty just looking at him, knowing how much he would hate the equivalent shock treatment for himself.

She nodded slowly. "Is it..." She hesitated, but he didn't finish her sentence for her. "Cruel?" she asked at last.

She dreaded his answer, but he just lifted his chin to indicate Kae and said reasonably, "He's not exactly comatose with fear, is he. Would you slap a hysterical person?"

Kerone's eyes widened. "No!"

To her surprise, Zhane chuckled. "Well, I would. Have, when it was Andros."

She tried to picture Andros hysterical and found she couldn't do it.

"I think you know him better than any of us," Zhane continued, and she understood him to mean Kae this time. "If this calms him down, I say go for it." He smiled a little, but she thought she saw a hint of melancholy behind it. "Maybe he'll even get over his fear of open space."

The opposite fear was something Zhane had never conquered, and she knew it bothered him. She patted Kae's hair again, wondering what to say. It was true... he didn't react as strongly as Zhane did, and she wondered if maybe he was just afraid instead of phobic. But afraid of what, exactly? And why? How were they supposed to help him when they didn't know anything about him?

"Kae," she said quietly. "Do you want to go back to Magic?"

Apparently that was the question he was waiting for because he twisted around her and pulled them both back toward the zord. He slipped between Magic's paws, keeping his hand firmly in hers as he pressed his back up against the cat's chest. She tried to squeeze in beside him, and Magic obediently shifted one paw to make room.

Zhane tapped the other paw, glancing up at the giant cat head that rested on it. "Do you mind?" he inquired.

"Now you ask," Kerone teased, leaning back against the paw that had moved. Kae was staring straight out between them, with a better view of the valley than she would have wanted if she was terrified of large places. "I bet you weren't invited when you were sitting on Magic's head, before."

"I was," Zhane said defensively. "I know how to ask permission!"

"I though you just knew how to apologize," Kerone murmured.

Zhane's indignant expression melted into a charming smile. "Yeah, well. It's almost the same thing." He climbed up on top of Magic's paw and patted the zord's side affectionately. "Thanks, Magic."

She watched Zhane settle himself, leaning back against Magic's chin and staring out over Keyota. He was mimicking Kae's gaze, she thought, glancing down at the child beside her. She didn't know if that was on purpose or if the view was just a natural focus for attention.

"Are you going to adopt him?" Zhane asked suddenly.

Kerone looked up in surprise, but he was still gazing down into the valley.

Zhane turned his head when she didn't answer right away. He gave Kae a significant look, and there was no pretending she didn't know what he meant. "Who else does he have?" she asked softly.

She searched Zhane's expression for some kind of answer, some clue as to how he felt about Kae and his uncertain future. She did feel responsible for the boy her double had saved from the perils of another dimension. But she felt far less certain of her own ability to do anything good for him. If Zhane didn't think Kae should stay... well, she would have a hard time arguing with him.

Zhane smiled, looking away again. "I'll work on Andros," was all he said.

There was another moment of quiet. Kae started banging on Magic's paw. It wasn't the irrational flailing of a hysterical child... for once. It was just an idle gesture, maybe a curious one. What happens if I do this?

She said nothing as he clambered to his feet and started banging higher up. Magic's eyes opened, or at least the one nearest them did and since that was the only one they could see Kerone assumed they had both done so. Her eye glowed briefly as she assessed the situation, then faded but remained open, apparently deciding that whatever Kae was doing was all right with her.

Kae kept banging, shooting hesitant glances at Kerone as he took a single step forward. She stayed where she was, smiling reassuringly at him when their eyes met. He flinched. She kept her smile in place, sighing inwardly. What had they done to this child?

Kae took another tiny step toward the front of Magic's paws, freezing in place when Zhane remarked, "We should see what Kristet knows about adopting someone who doesn't legally exist."

Kerone kept her voice quiet and calm when she replied, and Kae seemed to relax a little. He took another step forward as she said, "She probably has all sorts of ideas to make it seem normal for him to be here, too."

"She's good," Zhane agreed, and there was admiration in his tone but it was the admiration of equals. Or at least, that was what Kerone heard. Zhane was just as good at making people see what he saw with his words alone.

Watching Kae edge his way between Magic's paws, she wondered, "Do you think we'll be Rangers forever?"

Zhane shifted, and she thought he was about to answer. But he said nothing. She glanced over at him and found him frowning at her thoughtfully. "What a strange question," he said at last.

She should be offended, but with Zhane she just couldn't be. Something about the way he said it made her smile. "Is it?" she asked noncommittally.

"Yeah..." The word was drawn out, and his frown deepened for a moment. "Only I can't figure out why. Because--it's obvious that we won't be, or because it's obvious that we will be?"

Kerone nodded slowly. "That's just what I was thinking."

"Because of Andros, right?" Zhane's frown vanished and he seemed to shrug without moving. "He won't always be a Ranger. And I guess if he won't, then we won't either."

She studied him curiously. "What makes you so sure?"

He didn't have to ask which statement she was questioning. "Because he gave it up once. Twice, really. He's not... sometimes I think he's not really as attached to it as we think he is. It's just who he is, that he throws himself into everything he does--and this is what he does now. Someday... I think it probably won't be."

She nodded again, accepting his intuitive knowledge of her brother. If Andros wasn't going to spend his entire life as a Ranger, then neither would they. It was a strangely reassuring thought.

"Why'd you ask?" Zhane wanted to know, echoing her thoughts without realizing. "Got other plans?"

Kerone looked around as Kae moved out of her direct line-of-sight for the first time. He was creeping around Magic's left paw, keeping his back to the zord, moving cautiously but moving, and it made her smile to see him exploring, no matter how tentatively. There was a long moment while she just watched, before she realized that Zhane was watching her in turn.

She caught his eye with a small smile, aware that he probably knew more about the answer to that question than she did. "Maybe," she admitted. If someone needed her? Kae banged on Magic's paw again, and she looked over her shoulder automatically. "Maybe I do have plans."

"Fancy parties."

Andros didn't move, but the corner of his mouth quirked at the derision in those words. The Red Kerovan Ranger was leaning on a balcony railing, watching pilots, commanders, and some of the higher up militia types mingle on the floor below. His own team was out there too... some of them, and some more conspicuous than others. He himself saw no reason to socialize at an event that had little purpose beyond genuine relaxation.

"Not enough hay bales for you?" he asked over his shoulder, certain that Ty still lingered there. The Black Ranger had agreed to come on the assumption that Zhane would be here, Andros was sure. Zhane had changed his mind at the last minute, choosing instead to stay at the hangar with Kerone and Kae.

"I'm just saying," Ty remarked, joining him at the railing. "It's not really a party until you have a bonfire. At least one... the best parties have more."

Andros tried to picture burning anything inside a facility like this. They were on the Quon base, one of the biggest KPD installations on the continent, and consequently in what could be the best military function hall available. And Ty wanted to burn things.

"It would liven things up," Andros mused, careful to keep his words quiet.

He felt Ty's surprised gaze on him. "And here I thought you'd disapprove," the other Ranger said after a moment.

"I don't think this is the best place for it," Andros admitted. He continued to stare out at the crowds of chatting, sometimes dancing, people. "But Zhane would probably tell you that this isn't the best place for me, either."

There was another quiet moment. When Ty spoke, it was his turn to surprise Andros. "You should come to Chessa Brook sometime," he said casually. "Good bonfires. Plenty of hay bales, too," he added, in what had to be a deliberate afterthought.

Andros gave him an amused look, and was surprised when Ty turned at the same time and caught his eye. The gold eyes, Andros thought inconsequentially. They really were startling sometimes. "Sounds more exciting than this," Andros muttered, bracing one foot against the bottom of the railing as he looked away again.

"It is." Ty's cheer didn't sound forced. "But then, a lot of things are."

Andros felt his a smile tug at his expression again, and he tried to suppress it. That was usually Zhane's role: disparaging comments designed to make him feel better about not enjoying whatever activity they were currently engaged in. It was disconcerting to hear it from Ty, and it was disturbing to think that Ty might not be as subtle about it as Zhane could be. They really didn't want to offend anyone here.

*I see you've found a kindred spirit.*

It was Ashley's voice in his mind, and he scanned the floor in an effort to locate her. It wasn't hard, no matter how crowded the room or brightly dressed the people. Ashley exuded energy--it drew people and attention in equal measures, and he found her with his eyes in a matter of seconds. She looked up just as his gaze settled on her and she smiled.

He had to smile back, even as someone else drew her attention away from him again. Ashley thrived in a place like this, where she could be the center of attention all night long and never tire of the idle gossip being exchanged all around. He found it overwhelming, annoying, and ultimately unnecessary. Yet here he was.

"Would you tell me to mind my own business if I asked you how many people you can talk to like that?" Ty's voice reminded him that he wasn't the only one who was happier around a few people he knew rather than a hundred he didn't.

Andros gave him a sideways look, frowning a little. "You're very good at that."

Ty didn't pretend to misunderstand. "You don't have to make it sound like an accusation," he said evenly.

Andros wasn't sure he hadn't meant it as one. "Should it be?" he asked bluntly. "How do you do it?"

Ty shrugged. "Maybe I'm just more observant than most people; I don't know. I didn't realize it was so uncommon."

Andros considered that. How many people did he know who would actually call him on telepathic conversations if they noticed them? How many people did he know who had telepathic conversations, giving him an opportunity to notice or not himself? "Maybe it isn't," he muttered at last. "I've just never had anyone point it out to me as much as you do."

There was a moment of silence. "I don't," Ty said. He sounded somewhat bemused.

"You don't what?" Andros asked automatically.

"Point it out," Ty answered. "To you, anyway."

With those words, Andros realized what he was doing. "You point it out to Zhane," he said aloud. "That's what I meant."

"Yeah," Ty said after a moment. He sounded wary. "I guess I do. Didn't realize you'd noticed."

He didn't have to explain. He did anyway. "Whenever it's me, talking to him, I know when you distract him. That's all."

"You can tell who he's with?" Ty sounded skeptical. "That's kind of... detailed."

He was already regretting the explanation. "You have that kind of selective telepathy too, then," he guessed, trying to redirect the conversation.

"With my twin." Ty's response was so quick that Andros didn't question it right away. "You?"

Andros shrugged uncomfortably. "Zhane."

"And Ashley," Ty prompted. "Right? What about Astrea?"

Andros frowned down at the floor, straightening up from where he stood at the railing before he turned to face Ty. "Kerone," he said deliberately, and immediately wished he hadn't. He really wasn't trying to pick a fight here. "Is a telepath. A real telepath. She can talk to anyone that way."

Ty didn't look intimidated. "Is it genetic?" he wanted to know.

Andros opened his mouth to snap at him, caught himself in time, and in the space of a second changed what he was about to say. "You tell me," he said, watching Ty's expression.

Ty blinked. "Yes," he said after a moment. "Yes, it is."

Andros felt the corner of his mouth twitch, and he turned away with a shrug. Leaning on the railing again, his eye sought Ashley. He found Karen instead, and he wondered what she thought of this sort of formal socializing. If he'd had to guess, he wouldn't have said it was her style, but she had been enthusiastic about coming here tonight.

"You're a telepath," Ty repeated. He had hitched one hip up against the railing so that he was still facing Andros, even though Andros wasn't looking at him. Zhane wouldn't have done it. He would have either followed Andros' example or turned in the opposite direction. The distinction was somehow comforting.

"Not really." He realized belatedly that Ty was actually waiting for an answer, and it almost surprised Andros into looking at him. "Don't spread it around, because if anyone asks I'll tell them no."

"Okay." Again, Ty surprised him by agreeing immediately. Then, more predictably, he asked, "Why?"

Andros just shrugged. He was allowed to be mysterious, right? They all got on him for not talking enough. Might as well use it to his advantage when he could.

The truth was that he had no use for telepathy. He had never been very good at it, and that was fine with him. He had enough trouble understanding people who were speaking to him. He didn't want any of them in his head. With the notable exception of--

Andros frowned. Had Ty said he could only talk to his twin? "What about your husband?" Andros asked abruptly, shooting a sideways glance at the other Ranger.

Ty went very still, but there was no change in his tone when he answered. "You don't have to understand someone to love them."

"No," Andros agreed after a moment. He knew what Ty was saying, all too well.

He thought that would be the end of the conversation. Ty had made him uncomfortable, he had made Ty uncomfortable. They were even. They had a silent understanding, lately, that neither would push the other too far. It kept the peace, and it kept them talking. It was more than they'd been able to do last year.

"How do you know?" Ty asked suddenly. "I mean... is it different?"

Andros waited.

"You could talk to me, right?" Ty had turned, finally, to lean on the railing again. His position made it less obvious, from the perspective of anyone on the floor, that they were talking about anything serious. "Telepathically? But it's different from what it would be like with Zhane."

Ty hesitated, then added, "For you, I mean. It would seem different for you, to talk to me instead of Zhane."

He had started out with a question. He seemed to think he had answered it for himself, yet he was still waiting for Andros' confirmation. And it would have been easy enough to say yes--it was technically the truth. Everyone's thoughts were different.

That wasn't what Ty was really asking, though. Andros' ability to share Zhane's thoughts was independent of his genetics... right?

Slowly, Andros shook his head.

"No?" Ty echoed. "It would seem the same?"

This time Andros didn't answer. He wasn't sure why he was admitting this to Ty, of all people. Kerone must know, or at least guess, but if she did she had never brought it up. Outside of his sister, no one had reason to think he had anything other than the deepest understanding of the two people he loved most.

"So how can you tell?" Ty persisted. "How can you tell that you share their thoughts because of who they are, not because of who you are?"

When Andros still didn't say anything, Ty asked quietly, "Can you tell?"

"No," Andros muttered, straightening. He folded his arms across his chest, keeping his eyes on the people talking and dancing below. "I can't."

Ty didn't move, and out of the corner of his eye Andros could see him idly contemplating the floor as well. His silence was somehow more accepting than anything he could have said. Andros found himself relaxing a little.

"When we were younger," he said softly, "everyone thought we were so special. That Zhane and I could talk to each other in our heads--it surprised everyone. We would be the best of friends, they said. We had to be. They thought we must be so much alike..."

When he trailed off Ty pointed out, "You are best friends, aren't you? Does it matter why?"

Andros' fingers clenched on his arms. "You know why I won't tell anyone, Ty? Because that's all telepathy is to me. It's just another way to lie."

Ty stood up, turning around restlessly and leaning back against the railing. "Ryse wasn't from the colony," he remarked, seemingly at random. "He was from Calijyt. I don't know if you knew that."

Andros nodded wordlessly.

Ty must have seen it, because he continued, "I always told myself that was why we didn't have that kind of connection. The kind I have with my sister."

"You know it's not that common," Andros muttered.

Ty shrugged. "I guess we want the uncommon things more than the common ones," he said quietly.

After a moment, Ty pushed away from the railing entirely and took a step toward the stairs. "I'm going to get a drink," he tossed over his shoulder. "You want anything?"

Andros shook his head without thinking about it. "No. Thanks."

"Sure." Ty kept going.

"Ty." Andros stopped him at the top of the stairs, and Ty looked back inquiringly. "I'd have some water. If you're going down anyway."

Ty nodded once, his expression lightening a little. "You got it."

In retrospect, setting up the paint in Zhane's room had probably been a good idea. It had seemed natural at the time, since he was the one who had the paint, and Kae still didn't like spending long periods of time in the cavernous open space of the hangar proper. The fact of where the paint might end up had been less of a concern, but as Zhane surveyed the handprints covering the floor he decided that seeing them all over the downstairs might not have endeared them to their teammates.

"I think it adds charm," Astrea remarked, as she walked into his room and joined him by the windows. She sat down on the sill, considering the smudged and still sticky prints that hadn't been remotely contained by the huge sheets of paper they had put down on the floor.

"Like I need any more of that," Zhane countered absently. "There'll be so much charm in this room that there won't be any space for me."

He could almost hear her smile. "Interesting prediction. Anything you want psychoanalyzed?"

Zhane sighed, leaning back against the sill with her. "Not really. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know." She touched his arm gently, and he glanced sideways at her. "Thanks for... hanging out, tonight. It was nice not to be alone."

He smiled, reaching out to put his arm around her shoulders. "It was nice not to be in a crowd."

He felt her tilt her head at that, knew she was looking at him. "Tired?"

He knew what she meant. "Kind of. Just... having a down day."

"You're entitled," Astrea said softly. "It happens to the best of us."

"I wish..." He couldn't think of any way to continue that sounded good.

"You wish what?"

She wouldn't mind, he thought. "I wish people didn't think I was so great."

Astrea leaned her head against his shoulder as she thought about that. "I've never gotten that impression from you before."

He smiled ruefully. "No... you're right. I like having people notice me, think I'm great, all that. I like to be the center of attention."

"It shows," she agreed. There was no judgement in her voice.

"Sometimes I just think they're wrong," he admitted. "And I wish I didn't think they were going to find out."

"It doesn't matter," Astrea said with quiet assurance. "It doesn't matter what people find out or don't find out. Because the only one in your head is you, and other people's opinions can't change what you really think of yourself."

"Yeah, and you know--" He let out an half-irritated, half-amused sigh. "Some days I think that's good, and other days I think it's just damned annoying."

Her arm wormed its way around his waist, and having the hug returned made him feel a little better. "Me too," was all she said.

Finally he shifted, giving the floor a half-hearted glare. "I don't suppose you could do something about the floor," he said, wishing he didn't sound quite so whiny.

For answer, Astrea lifted her free hand and waved it in the air idly. The resulting lightshow was slow and swirling, but no less dramatic for its unusual lack of zip. The painted handprints melted away as though they had never been. "That one too?" she asked, pausing to point at the doorframe.

He opened his mouth to say yes, then changed his mind. "Nah. That one's kind of cute." Kae had gotten away from them several times, but only once had he failed to keep his hands to himself--or the floor. Green fingertips distorted an otherwise blue print, surprisingly clear considering the speed at which their owner had been traveling at the time.

Astrea just nodded and let her hand fall, as though she had expected him to say that.

He really didn't want to interrupt this moment. Unfortunately, the windowsill wasn't the most comfortable choice of seating, and awkwardness was winning out over ease of conversation. "You want to move?" he suggested. "Sit somewhere more designed for sitting?"

As he expected, she turned this into an activity ender. "I should go check on the zords," she said, giving him another half-hug before letting go. She stood up before he could stop her.

"Stay and talk to me," Zhane said. "Or let me come with you. Either one."

She took his hand and pulled him toward her, away from the window. Wrapping her arms around him wordlessly, she let him know that she understood. And that was enough. He hugged her fiercely in return, moving back to kiss her when their embrace loosened.

They kissed gently, easily, and there was nothing but companionship behind it. Zhane sometimes wondered what that meant, whether she had kissed anyone else differently or if this was just what she always expected, and why it didn't bother him the way it used to. Right now, though, he just appreciated it for its simplicity.

"I'll stay," Astrea murmured eventually, "if you'll let me talk about something strange."

"Name your topic," Zhane promised, smiling at her.

She bit her lip, not smiling in return. "Death."

"Okay. Seating preference?"

Now she did smile. "I love you."

"It's mutual," he told her, brushing her hair back behind her ear.

She picked his hammock, which told him two things. One, it was going to be a long conversation. And two, she'd been thinking about it for a while, because she was comfortable enough with the topic that she had bothered to pick a location to discuss it in the first place. If it was recently on her mind and still in the early stages of uncertainty, she would have been too distracted to choose.

They arranged themselves on the hammock with a lot of difficulty and giggles, which as far as he was concerned was all part of the fun of having a hammock. When everyone had redecorated, Andros had insisted that he could do better than sleeping bags on a mattress, no matter how comfortable it was. And how used to it Zhane was. Zhane tried to get him to admit that Andros wanted an upgrade for himself, not for Zhane at all, but he wouldn't and so Zhane got a hammock. If Andros wasn't going to weigh in, then Zhane wasn't about to accommodate him just out of the goodness of his heart.

Besides, he found he liked having a hammock, even sleeping in it from time to time. Andros had just rolled his eyes in annoyance and declared a moratorium on sleeping in Zhane's room. That had lasted a total of three days--but who was counting?

"Remember last year?" Astrea asked when they were finally settled. She was half-lying, half-sitting next to him, hips pressed against each other as she lay partly on him and partly on the hammock, his arm wrapped loosely around her. "When you said you'd wait for me for a long time?"

"Yup," he said cheerfully, amused by her willingness to jump into the middle of a conversation. "Still true."

"Was that a long time ago?" she wanted to know.

Zhane thought about that, sure there was more to the question than she had asked. She was awfully cute in a hammock, he thought with a grin... it wasn't something he was noticing for the first time. But that wasn't what she wanted to know, was it.

"No," he said at last. "Not in the way that I meant I would wait this long and no longer. Yeah, I guess a lot of things have happened since then, but no--I'm still waiting."

"Waiting for what?" she asked, point-blank.

He hesitated. "Well, at the time you said you were trying to figure out what love was. You seem to have figured it out since then, right?"

That made her smile. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "Maybe I have. Started to, anyway."

"Then all I'm waiting for is for you to tell me what you want from me," Zhane told her. As was so often the case, her honesty inspired his own. He didn't worry as much about hurting her when she was talking to him like this, because he knew she was out of that political safe-talk mode that confused everything a person did or didn't say. Like this, she was just after the truth, plain and simple. And he identified with that.

"Tell me to run away, build a house, stay here, whatever," Zhane continued. "Whenever you figure out something about yourself and what we, the two of us, mean to you, you just let me know."

There was a quiet moment. "When will I figure that out?" she murmured at last.

"Probably never," Zhane said, with an attempt at levity. "Any time you look for meaning you're just asking for trouble, anyway."

Astrea poked him in the side for his teasing. "You've changed a lot in the last year."

"Nah," he countered. "You just remember me being funnier than I was."

She let out a soft huff of a amusement for that idea. "I haven't changed so much," she remarked, refusing to be sidetracked so early.

The only problem with starting in the middle of a conversation was that he didn't always know what it was about. "I think you have," he said belatedly. "A lot."

"No... look at me, Zhane. Really look." She waited, but he was already looking. "Do I look any different than I did this time last year?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "Your hair, your clothes, your expression. All different. Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm not breathing!" She took his hand and put it over her heart. "Because I don't always have a pulse, Zhane." She did now, he could feel her heart beating, circulating blood and air and--air? How could she not be breathing if her heart was beating?

"I'm not exactly alive anymore," she reminded him, no less vehemently. "Will I get any older? Will I age or will I look like this forever? Will I ever die?"

More quietly she added, "Am I asking you to wait my whole life when I don't even know how long that is?"

Okay, he was in the dark on the first few questions, but the last one he could answer. "No," Zhane said firmly. "You're not asking me to do anything. I'm waiting. I'm deciding that for myself, I decide it every day and you don't owe me anything for it. It's just what I want to do."

She twined her fingers through his and let their hands fall. "I'm not sure I believe that," she said softly.

He squeezed her hand. "I can't change that," he reminded her, just as softly.

This drew a puff of amusement from her lips, but she didn't explain. Instead she just said, "You didn't want people to think you're great and then find out they're wrong. I don't want that either--especially not from you."

"I'm not wrong," he said, kissing her ear with a smile.

She tilted her head slightly but didn't answer, and his smile faded. "Astrea," he whispered. "No one knows the future. Not you, not me. Maybe you'll live forever, or just a little longer than all of us. Maybe you'll see Kae grow up and maybe you won't. Maybe something will go wrong and you'll die tomorrow. Maybe any of us will.

"You've been making decisions all day: what to talk about, who to talk with, what to do. I've made the same kind of decisions. Neither of us can afford to assume that the decisions we're making now won't be our last ones. But if they are, I'm happy with mine. Are you?"

Her fingers tightened in his. Into the sudden silence she murmured, "I don't know."

Resting his chin against her temple he asked, "Want to talk about it?"

After a moment, she shook her head. "I'd rather just lie here with you," she confessed in a quiet voice.

He smiled to himself, closing his eyes. "That sounds nice," he agreed.

And it turned out that it was.

6. Nothing at All

Zhane of the Free Systems squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember a time when he hadn't been "Zhane of the Free Systems." A time when he hadn't even been "Zhane of KO-35." A time when all he cared about was the wind off the water and the likelihood of picking up paying work on any given day.

It was like being reincarnated, he decided, lying there on his back in the middle of a huge bed in a darkened room. He had never expected to leave KO-35, had never given much thought to anything past the next job or the most recent party. Until he'd met the Red Astro Ranger, lost his entire world to advancing armies of evil, and retreated to the League capitol to make their last stand in a war-torn universe.

Who had he been back then? A surfer kid, a beach bum; someone who lived for today, tried not to think too much about tomorrow, and didn't remember as much as he should about yesterday. Now he was a super-powered soldier on the front lines of a war that hadn't even existed when he met Andros. He was years and several galaxies away from his old life now.

The door whispered open, and he turned toward it without opening his eyes. Andros. Damn, that telepathy thing was weird. He opened his eyes and regarded the silhouette in the doorway, clearly hesitating over the lights. "I'm awake," Zhane said quietly. "Just thinking."

The lights came up partway, and Andros allowed the door to close behind him as he stepped into the room. "What about?" he asked, his voice no louder than Zhane's.

Zhane offered a half-smile. "How we got here, what we're doing, that kind of thing. Just waiting for you, really. Is Ash okay with all of this?"

Andros sighed. "Seems like it," he muttered, frowning down at the floor. "She says, after spending all that time with Astronema, she can go anywhere."

"Even an occupied planet on the edge of nowhere?" He didn't really have to ask, but he knew Andros was thinking it.

The Red Ranger just nodded wordlessly. Ashley was the logical contact person for the Earth resistance, and on top of that she had volunteered. As far as anyone could tell, she wanted to go. It was just that none of them particularly wanted to let her.

"Carlos is going as far," Andros said suddenly, as though he knew what Zhane was thinking.

"Yeah," Zhane agreed. They would have to replace both Rangers immediately, and it was going to make the Earth Rangers' patrol hell. "And he'll be farther from the fighting than any of us. Why waste worry on him?"

The hint of a smile touched Andros' face, acknowledging Zhane's flippant remark for what it was: an effort to comfort. He wandered over to the bed and dropped heavily down on the nearest side, sitting with his back to Zhane for a long moment. "It's going to be all right," he said at last. "This is the right thing to do."

Zhane pushed himself up on his elbows, regarding Andros with concern. Just like the rest of them, he had a public face and a private one. But Andros had been so much more peaceful lately, more at ease with what events had made of him. Zhane hated to see him lose that.

"I'm convinced," he offered softly.

Andros sighed, turning to look at Zhane over his shoulder. "Thank you," he said simply.

Zhane smiled. The Red Ranger's uncanny understanding of battles and their outcomes, far in advance of their actual conclusion, was something he had long ago accepted about his friend. Andros knew things. His ability to predict military engagements was uncontested, and as far as Zhane was concerned, this latest strategic vision was different only in scale.

"No reason to start doubting now," Zhane said quietly.

It was Andros' turn to smile, and he turned to pull his legs up onto the bed. "You're the only reason I still believe," he confessed, his eyes burning into Zhane's.

Zhane didn't flinch. "You're the only reason I ever believed," he replied.

His lover reached for him, and they reaffirmed the only belief that mattered.

It couldn't get any worse.

That was what she told herself, the mantra she had repeated over and over until she found herself outside a door she had never allowed herself to visit before. Stupid. They were so stupid, letting this hang over them. She could make that decision for herself--but not for anyone else.

Cassandra pressed the chime set into the wall outside the Elisian Rangers' apartment. Relations between their teams couldn't get any worse. She couldn't get any lonelier. And she couldn't have any less of him than she had right now. There was no reason to try to hold onto a situation that was deteriorating almost daily.

She could do nothing and watch it continue to fall apart, or she could do something and take the chance of blowing it up... or maybe, just maybe, fixing some of what had gone wrong. She was so tired of being powerless. She was tired of letting guilt dictate her actions.

Most of all, she was tired of being alone.

Cassandra knew the door would open before it did, she sensed the approach of the person who lived in her mind from inside the apartment. It was late by both their schedules. She wouldn't have blamed him for not coming to the door at all. Even--maybe especially--when he knew who was on the other side as well as she did.

The door opened. Saryn stood there, dressed in comfortable, wrinkled clothes that had clearly been slept in but nonetheless bore the Elisian Ranger logo on the sleeve. It was as close as any of them came to pajamas, she guessed. The shirt she wore to bed had her Ranger insignia on it too. All of them had to recognizable at a moment's notice.

"Saryn." She didn't even mean to say it, but at the sight of him the words tumbled out and she couldn't stop them. "What the fuck are we doing?" she whispered. Staying away from each other. Pretending there was nothing there, pretending that they deserved this. That anyone deserved this.

He just stared back at her, his eyes an impenetrable echo.

Cassandra swallowed. She had no right to expect anything from him. "Is Jenna here?" she asked, trying to raise her voice to a more normal level and failing miserably.

Almost imperceptibly, he nodded.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. "I want to talk to her."

That startled him. Though he gave no indication, she could feel surprise and fear as though they were her own. He didn't say anything, and the moment stretched out. He wouldn't keep her away, would he? She had thought she and Jenna could be friends, back before all of this started. Before they realized that it had started the first time they saw each other.

Without a word, Saryn stepped out of the doorway, inviting her inside. There was only one light on in the room behind him, a small mood light that he must have touched on his way to the door. She walked into the dimness hesitantly. She had never seen this place before, this apartment that he shared with his... lover? Ex-lover? They still lived together. But he hadn't asked about TJ, and she hadn't asked about Jenna.

Jenna. The Pink Elisian Ranger stood on the other side of the room, hands arranged carefully on the chair in front of her, her face shrouded in the shadows cast by the lamp. She was out of direct line of sight from the front door, invisible until one actually entered the apartment. Cassandra had to assume that was intentional, that Saryn had told her who was at the door and she had come to see for herself.

"Hi, Jenna," she said, wary of the other woman and not at all sure that determination would be enough. She had no idea what kind of reception to expect. "Can I... talk to you for a minute?"

She saw Saryn's gaze go to Jenna. She wondered what he could sense from her. That was what it meant to be an empath, right? He knew what they were feeling? This would be a lot easier if he wasn't here, she thought with a sigh. She barely knew what to say as it was, and having his reactions on top of her own wouldn't help.

"Saryn," Jenna said carefully. Her voice was neutral, as impassive as her face. "Would you give us some time?"

Cassandra stared at her, trying frantically to remember what they had told her about empaths. It was common on Elisia? Could Jenna tell what she was feeling too? Was that good or bad? The other Ranger would know she was telling the truth, right? But was the truth good enough anymore?

She knew the answer to that. She had the truth, after all. And it wasn't good enough.

She could see Saryn looking from one of them to the other. He was obviously torn, and Jenna could see it as well as she could. Where did his loyalties lie? If they both wanted this conversation, who was he trying to protect? Would he argue with either of them?

Cassandra didn't want to see him decide, but she couldn't beg him to just go, either. Jenna had asked. He could go or stay with minimal damage either way. But if Cassandra asked, just the asking would imply something. And if he went then, and not before...

Saryn nodded once. It was an abrupt movement, and a silent one. He had yet to say anything, and it didn't look like that was about to change. He turned and crossed the room without a word. He disappeared into a darkened room, and the door closed behind him a moment later.

They both watched him go. Then Jenna turned to her and asked politely, "Can I get you anything? Something to drink?"

Cassandra's gaze snapped back to hers, and she opened her mouth. She couldn't think of anything to say. "No," she said at last. "Thanks." She was off-balance already, caught completely by surprise by Jenna's token courtesy.

"Sit down," Jenna offered, moving around the chair she stood behind to wait beside it. She didn't take her eyes off of Cassandra.

Cassandra bit her lip. She was desperately afraid that this polite veneer was just for show, to prove that the other Ranger could be more civil than she was no matter what the circumstances. But if that was Jenna's revenge, then surely she deserved it?

Reluctantly, Cassandra took a seat across from Jenna.

"Lights," Jenna called, sitting down in the chair she had already claimed. The computer must have been set to a day-night schedule that corresponded to their shift rotation, because soft lights came up around the room. It wasn't the bright light of day, just the gentle illumination of evening--mood lighting, like the lamp, not work lighting.

"I came to apologize," Cassandra said, cringing inwardly. It sounded insincere and inadequate to her ears, but she didn't know where else to start. "I didn't--I never meant for any of this to happen."

Jenna stared at her, and Cassandra tried to steel herself for another conversation like the one with TJ. The censure of her teammates had been hard, but his disappointment had been worse than any anger. She would never be the angel in his eyes again. She hadn't thought Jenna's bitterness could even come close to that realization, but now every look Jenna gave her just brought it all back.

"I know," Jenna said at last.

Cassandra opened her mouth, ready to explain as best she could, to do it better than she had done it with her team, to try and make herself understand at least...

She hesitated. When she spoke all that came out was, "What?"

Jenna's expression didn't change. "I don't think you meant for this to happen," she said simply.

"I didn't, I really didn't--" Cassandra bit her lip, trying to keep from babbling. "Jenna, I swear, when I came here I was engaged to one of my teammates. Where we come from, that's like we've sworn to love each other and no one else for the rest of our lives. No one else, just us, it's exclusive and we were both committed to it and I couldn't imagine ever needing anyone else."

"Well." Jenna looked like she tried to smile, but it just melted away into the expressionless stare that didn't lighten. "Your imagination is better now, I guess."

"I didn't want this," Cassandra cried. "I just saw him and it was like... I don't know, I can't--I can't make it sound like I felt. It was like I knew what he was thinking the first time I saw him. I didn't want it," she repeated desperately. "But I couldn't stop it."

Jenna's eyes bored into her. "Do you want it now?"

She wanted to say no. She wanted to assure this woman, this Ranger for whom she should have been willing to die, that she regretted the feeling that was even now taking Jenna's partner from her. But she had come here to tell the truth.

"Yes," Cassandra whispered. "I hate how it happened. I hate what it's done to all of us. But... I love him." I love him. She had never said those words aloud. "I can't hate that," she finished softly, almost inaudibly.

Jenna's gaze fell finally, looking away for the first time. "I--I'm glad to hear that," she told the floor. Her voice gave the lie to her words. Everything that wasn't on her face was in her tone.

"I'm sorry," Cassandra whispered. "I really am."

Jenna lifted her head, a smile trying once more to make itself seen on her face. But there were tears in her eyes now, and she brushed at them impatiently before they could spill onto her cheeks. "I know," she repeated, voice trembling. "I know you are."

Cassandra waited. There was nothing else she could say. She ached to comfort, to do anything that could make up for the terrible pain that had torn two couples apart. But if "anything" existed, she didn't know what it was, and she didn't dare ask the only question that was on her mind: how?

Jenna's breath caught and she swallowed hard, making no apology for her tears as she tried again. Taking a deep breath, she murmured, "I knew what happened, you know. I knew he'd fallen for you."

Jenna looked up, toward the ceiling, for a brief moment. "I should have said something then," she said softly. Then she looked back at Cassandra. "It happened, sometimes, on Elisia. He told you?"

Not understanding, Cassandra just shook her head.

"He must have known." Jenna closed her eyes, wiping away another tear when the gesture pushed it free. "He must have. It's happened to him before."

Cassandra's heart froze. She didn't know what Jenna was talking about, but she didn't like the implication.

Jenna opened her eyes, starting to look marginally more composed. "Sometimes empaths spontaneously bond with each other," she muttered, blinking hard. "No one knows why it happens. Everyone has their pet theories, from science to spirituality."

"Oh," Cassandra breathed. The memory came back: she and Saryn, late one night in Linnse's office. They had run into each other by sheer coincidence, and Linnse had taken them aside when it became obvious that neither one of them was going to be the first to leave.

"He did tell you?" Jenna's focus was shifting now, from inward back to her.

"Something... like that, maybe." He had said it meant they were meant to be. It was the first and only time he had told her that he loved her. "Something about--other lives, or something," she muttered, embarrassed to even mention it to Jenna.

To her surprise, a choked laugh escaped from the other Ranger. It wasn't malicious, or even really humorous. Instead it made her seem even sadder than she already was. Especially when she put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes again.

"Lyris told him that," Jenna whispered at last. "He was the first. He and Saryn knew each other as soon as they met--they barely even said hello and they were the best friends you've ever seen."

Cassandra felt cold all over. "But they weren't... they didn't--"

"They weren't lovers," Jenna said, somehow understanding what she meant. She opened her eyes and glanced at Cassandra before looking away. "They knew each other in a way Saryn and I never did. Maybe... maybe that's why Saryn fought this so hard, I don't know."

Jenna's voice dropped and she added, "I shouldn't have let him. I knew it was tearing him up inside. But I needed him too, Cassandra." Her voice broke, and she whispered, "I needed him too."

With dawning horror, Cassandra repeated, "They weren't lovers?"

Jenna just shook her head.

"Oh my god," Cassandra whispered. "This is our fault, isn't it. We really did this." It wasn't whatever magical powers an empath had after all... not if Saryn had felt this before with such incredibly different results.

"Yes," Jenna said in a small voice. "And no." She caught Cassandra's eye again, straightening resolutely. "They weren't attracted to each other. You are. I know..." She took a deep breath, but she didn't look away. "I know that if this hadn't happened, you never would have acted on it. You told me so yourself: you were committed to someone else.

"So was Saryn," Jenna said, with a quirk of her lips that wasn't a smile. "I know there was no fighting this, and call me a sadist but it was sweet--it was so good of you to try. It really was. Please believe that, Cassandra. I believe you."

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Torn between the desire to apologize again and the need to reassure Jenna, she could only manage, "I don't know what to say."

"Say that you want forgiveness." Jenna was unnaturally calm.

"I--" Cassandra started to shake her head, knowing she didn't deserve it, unable to ask for something she couldn't give herself.

"Because you have it," Jenna said, before she could find the words. "I just..." Her voice trailed off, and when it came back it sounded forlorn. "I have a favor to ask."

Anything. Cassandra just looked at her, waiting.

"He won't leave me until I tell him to," Jenna told her hands. Then she added softly, "Or until you ask him to. He's still here, so I know you haven't asked." She lifted her gaze to Cassandra's and said, "I want you to be together."

Jenna pressed her lips together, but her voice was steady when she said, "I want him to be happy. And I know he'll do anything for you. So please... all I ask is that you don't keep him away from me. He's all I have left of my home, my world... my team." She hesitated there, the catch in her throat resolving itself. "He needs you--but I still need him."

"He needs you too," Cassandra said quietly. For the first time she knew exactly what to say. "I know that, Jenna. He loves you just as much as he did before."

"He just loves you more," Jenna murmured.

Cassandra swallowed. "Maybe," she admitted. "But... back before I knew what was happening, when we first met--our two teams, I mean?" She didn't wait for Jenna to acknowledge what she was saying. "I thought maybe you and I could be friends. I... I still wish that could have happened."

Jenna finally smiled again, and this time it didn't look polite or reassuring or anything but an honest expression of her feelings. It wavered, not strong or confident either, but there. "I wish it still could," she offered tentatively.

Not quite able to believe the offer that had been made, Cassandra murmured, "I'll try if you will?"

After the briefest pause, Jenna just nodded. "I'll try," she agreed softly.

They sat there in awkward silence for a moment longer. Finally, Jenna pushed herself up off the chair and tried for another smile. This one wasn't quite as sincere. "I'll send Saryn out," she said.

Cassandra wished she could say, No, don't. She wished she could just leave, the wound between them salved if not healed, and save any further pain for another day. But she was here, she had seen Saryn, and she could still feel him in the darkness. She wasn't strong enough to say no.

Jenna turned away and crossed the apartment without another word.

He hadn't even pretended to sleep. The light was on when Jenna returned, illuminating the screen in front of him while he tried to catch up on casualty reports from across the Free Systems. Every Ranger sent out on patrol today had returned, and in that sense the day had been a success. Tomorrow would find two new Rangers in the sky above Eltare, however, and there was plenty of reason for concern.

Saryn lifted his unseeing gaze from the reports and took in Jenna's tear-stained face. That hurt more than any numbers he could read. He pushed the screen away immediately but he didn't stand, not sure what she would take from him right now.

"She's waiting," Jenna said quietly.

Somehow, the words didn't surprise him. Not just because he knew they were true, because he could feel Cassandra's presence even through the walls, but because there was nothing else she would have said. He knew too, instinctively, that no apology would be enough. "Thank you," he whispered instead.

Jenna looked away. There was a long moment where neither of them moved. Finally he heard her speak, so softly that he held his breath to hear her words. "If you don't come back," she murmured. "I'll understand."

That brought him to his feet. Three strides took him to her side, and he waited until her eyes met his again. Unflinching. "Do you want me to come back?" he asked quietly.

A pause, and then a single nod.

He lifted his fingers to her face, the lightest caress on her cheek. "Then I shall."

Saryn slipped out of the room before she could answer. The lights out here were adequate, even after the bright reading light he had subjected his eyes to just recently. He could see Cassandra's dark head, bowed over her lap as she braced her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands. Her back to him, he saw her turn her head a little as he paused.

She didn't say anything.

He hated that he didn't even know her. Was it normal for her to be so quiet? They had so rarely had occasion to converse in the past, but from what he had observed of her with her teammates, he thought her silence was unusual. Was it because of him, then? Something Jenna had said? The hopelessness he could feel between them?

"You frustrate me, too." Cassandra's voice drifted to him, the words alarmingly real in the quiet of this interrupted night. "I didn't want this, you know."

"So you said," he agreed softly, not taking his eyes off of her.

"So you said," she retorted. Her irritation flared in the half-light, and his jaw clenched.

I am done fighting with her over this, he reminded himself. They had hurt each other enough. Yet the words came unbidden--it was a habit by now. "Whatever you blame me for in this, know that I did not act alone," he said stiffly.

Her head tilted a little, and he realized she had moved her hands from her chin to her face. It was less a pensive posture than it was a despairing one. He stepped forward without thinking, drawn to her no matter the circumstances. The name that fell from her lips stopped him where he stood.

"Lyris," she whispered, not lifting her head.

Raw anger at the mention of his name. He didn't bother trying to hide his reaction, knowing that she would see through it and not caring. "Do not speak of him lightly," he warned, ignoring her dismay.

"Why not?" she asked the floor. The tumult of emotion caught at him, dragged him into her hurt more effectively than any words and it infuriated him that she would make this about her. All she said aloud was, "Because my children have nothing to do with empathy after all?"

He was so caught up in what she felt that he barely heard what she said. "You will not disrespect my friend in this fashion," he hissed. "You have no idea what I felt for him."

"Yeah, well." Her voice sounded hollow. "I don't have any idea what you feel for me, either."

"Nor I you," he snapped.

There was no change in her posture or tone. "I love you."

Saryn stared at her. She believed that, he realized belatedly, but the shock of the words held him frozen in place. He was not caught off-guard so often. The feeling of utter speechlessness was uncomfortable.

"I came here," she continued softly, "because I'm tired of this. We can't change what we did, Saryn. No matter what we do, we'll never make it fair to the others. The most we can do is try to make it fair to ourselves."

"Do we deserve that?" he muttered, unable to keep the doubt inside.

Cassandra was very still. "Maybe I don't," she whispered at last. The words hurt, and he opened his mouth to contradict her. Then she added, "But I think you do."

That made him hesitate. "Odd," he mused. But perhaps, when he thought about it, predictable. "I would have said the opposite."

She finally lifted her head. She sat up straight for a moment before shifting sideways to face him. "If we can't do it for ourselves," she said softly. "Can we do it for each other?"

He would do anything for her. Did she know that, he wondered?

"Yes," Cassandra breathed.

The protest was futile, but he made it anyway. "You shouldn't be able to do that."

"No secrets," she whispered, obviously sensing his wariness. "I'm not hiding anything from you, Saryn. I just know what you don't say. It probably makes less sense to me than it does to you."

"I find that hard to believe," he said under his breath.

She was standing now, facing him across the room. She was waiting, he realized with a sigh. Waiting for him to decide--as she already had--whether it would be yes or no. Now or later. Or maybe not later. There were no guarantees, not on this planet, not in this war. If it wasn't now, it could quite conceivably be never.

He might be able to live with the fact that he had lost her through his own actions, that the fault for their situation was his, that he had said no at all the wrong times. He might be able to live with that. He didn't know. But he was certain that he couldn't die with it.

"Yes," Saryn said quietly. "For each other... we can do this."

Carlos had emptied his locker, turned over his morpher, and said goodbye to his teammates. He had said a longer goodbye to his wife. He had given Ashley a message for his brother, and he had read everything he could about a situation he still didn't understand. There was nothing left to do but report to Co-Op and let JT send him off.

"Hey, Carlos!"

The more he tried not to resent the circumstances, the harder it was to stop thinking about them. He was awfully glad to see Ash racing for the lift when he turned to hold the doors. "Running late for UC again?" he teased, grinning at her indignation.

"I think you have to have a cover to be undercover," she said breathlessly, sliding into the lift with him as he let the doors go. "And I'm only as late as you are!"

"You really are screwed," he declared.

Ashley rolled her eyes as the lift started upwards, leaning back against the railing with a nonchalance that made her breathless mien less conspicuous. "What are they going to do?" she asked lightly. "Fire us? Come on, we're the only people crazy enough to volunteer!"

"Crazy's a good word for it," he agreed with a smirk. "Whose idea was this, anyway? Some alien almost shoots me for looking at her sideways and suddenly I'm the sucker who has to go and try to make peace with her planet?"

"Too bad your counterpart made such an impression," Ashley said with a laugh. "You're the only one they'll listen to and you know it. That'll teach you to save an entire planet," she added.

"Make it disappear just to try to bring it back later?" Carlos made a face. "Yeah, that was just brilliant of me. In fact, next time I see me, remind me to thank myself for that. In detail."

"I'll do it myself," Ashley promised. "As soon as you take over the Earth op that should have been yours in the first place. I mean, honestly, he's your brother!"

It was Carlos' turn to be smug. "That'll teach you to claim someone else's spy contacts!"

"Oh, whatever!" Ashley held up one hand in pretended affront. "See if I ever cover for you again!"

"Like anyone asked you to!" he retorted.

When the lift doors opened on Co-Op, Carlos was no less wound up than he'd been before but at least he was feeling better about it. He had a really horrible long-distance teleport in front of him, not to mention the reception he could expect on the other end of it. But he wasn't the only one setting off to do the impossible... and if nothing else, it would be something different. The routine around here, both figuratively and quite literally, was deadly.

Ashley teleported out first. He tried to ignore the lonely pang that accompanied her departure, knowing that emotional displays were part of the reason the others hadn't been allowed in to see them off. Well, that and time constraints. They were on a schedule around here, and it drove him crazy, but it couldn't be altered for anything short of incapacitation.

JT was muttering about teleporting to an invisible planet, but he kept his concerns quiet enough that Carlos only got the gist. JT was probably just trying to rile him. Probably. After all, they could predict where the planet should be... couldn't they?

"Carlos." JT's voice snapped him out of the worry he was trying to pretend he didn't feel. "Watch your back out there."

"Yeah." Carlos braced himself. "You got it. Keep it together, okay?"

JT nodded once. The room disappeared. The discomfort of an extended teleport settled in too fast, making his mind claw at remembered sensation to compensate for the disembodied nature of the transportation. Even alien surroundings were welcome when they finally coalesced, with agonizing slowness, into the very darkness around him.

What, didn't they believe in lights on Aquitar? Carlos dragged air into his lungs, grateful for every twinge that reminded him he was still alive. It was the dimness that weirded him out now, that and the fact that he wasn't quite blind. He could see enough to make him worry, enough to say that the shapes around him weren't just alien technology--that they might instead be ruins.

It was a contingency they had considered likely, in fact. Even if the Rangers were still operating on Aquitar, it was a good bet that their command center wasn't. But these were the best coordinates JT had, and it was up to Carlos from here on out.

He gave his eyes a few more minutes, using the time they needed to adjust to listen. There was no sound around him. That made him nervous, because by all accounts he should be underwater. There should be some sort of air cyclers at work, at least, but he heard nothing.

Great. No light, stale air, and absolutely zero direction. He tried to tell himself that he had it better than Ashley. He hadn't teleported into hostile territory. Just the destroyed shell of a place that might or might not be humanly habitable. Surrounded by what felt suspiciously like ghosts, and no way to find their keepers.

Oh yeah. A lot better than Ashley.

Ashley was greeted by blaster fire the moment she was released from the teleportation stream. She threw herself out of the way almost before she had identified the sounds of the firefight, reacting on instinct to the danger in the air. But even as she hit the ground, her mind registered the bizarreness of the situation--no one could predict a teleport that accurately, not unless they already knew where it was supposed to end.

The welcoming committee wasn't for her. It was the most logical explanation. Unfortunately, whether by accident or design, she was in the middle of it, and she had her own weapon in her hand as she rolled. She hadn't come all this way, she hadn't come home, just to get killed.

She also hadn't come to blast anyone she wasn't absolutely certain was the enemy. Which meant that cover was her best option. Fast, unpredictable movement, and cover.

"Ashley!"

Cavalry would work too.

Gabe was lucky she recognized his voice, because he appeared at her side with absolutely zero warning. No sound other than her name, no movement, not even in her peripheral vision. She guessed that was what it meant to be a ninja.

"That's a good way to get yourself shot," Ashley told him, as he hunkered down beside her in the shelter of the Power Chamber debris. Maybe they should have expected that this place would be watched.

"Good to see you too," Carlos' brother answered. "You okay?"

"Fine." She risked a peek around their concrete barricade, catching sight of another black streak before a warning shot sent her scrambling back. "You alone?"

"Nah, company. We came out to meet you; figured it might take more than one of us to get you out of here safe." Gabe was doing something to his wrist device, she noted absently. "Good thing we did."

"Did you expect an ambush?" Ashley wanted to know. It wouldn't be so strange, really. There was no way he could have gotten a message back to Eltare quickly enough to matter.

"Always do." Gabe passed her the wrist device abruptly. "Here. Put this on and we're out of here."

Ashley did as she was told, wincing as a shout penetrated the firefight taking place on the other side of the concrete. Gabe tensed, too, but the sound of blasters trading insults didn't let up and that had to be a good thing. "Ready," she told him. She didn't bother to ask what it was.

He whipped a blaster from nowhere, pointed it into the sky. Not a blaster, she realized as she flinched back from the flame. The flare exploded straight up, an eerie extra star in the daytime sky as it burned itself out. She didn't see it go out, didn't see anything at all after the world accelerated into an undifferentiated blur around her.

She found herself dizzy and gasping for breath by the time her eyes started to make sense of things again. She staggered and Gabe caught her, steadying her, a token apology in his voice. "Sorry; weird huh? We have to go again. You okay?"

Ashley nodded, managing to gasp out, "Yeah, go."

This time she shut her eyes, and somehow that made it better. Strange that the feeling of gravity doing cartwheels was mostly a visual perception, rather than an actual question of balance. What kind of transportation were they using around here, anyway?

When she felt solid ground under her feet again, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. They were inside. For some reason that caught her off guard, although maybe it shouldn't have. Whatever kind of teleportation they were using--and she assumed it was teleportation--it wouldn't be much good if it couldn't go through walls.

The warehouse they were standing in was deserted, if her vision was anything to go by. There were flashes of darkness around her, but only one other person materialized. Was that what they had looked like from the outside, Ashley wondered? Just a flicker of shadow too fast to properly distinguish?

"We're going out the back," Gabe was saying. He had gripped both her shoulders to steady her, and now he was staring into her face, trying to gauge her expression. "There's a place across the street where we can change, get you into something that won't draw so much attention."

She didn't protest. Her field gear was just that--gear--and if he didn't look very inconspicuous himself, well, he knew what they were doing better than she did. Her eyes flicked to the silent figure beside him, the one keeping a wary eye on the motionless room while they talked.

"Blake," Gabe said, seeing her gaze go to him. Then he nodded at her and added, "Ashley. Better introductions later."

She smiled at Blake, who paused his scan of the room to nod in return. "Let's go," Ashley agreed.

She was hustled out of the warehouse and into a building that looked, from the inside, a lot like a bar. She hadn't seen a sign outside, so all she had to go on was the crowd and the drinks. They didn't slip through unnoticed, but Gabe kept a hand on her arm and steered her down a hallway, through a door, and then through a second.

Ashley almost stopped when she caught sight of the person waiting for them inside the tiny room. Blue eyes grabbed her attention and held it as a dangerous gaze considered her for several seconds. She had seen people like this on Astronema's ship, and she didn't ignore them lightly. But Gabe was still tugging on her arm, pulling her behind a cloth-draped rack taller than she was and handing her clothes with an apologetic look.

"Sorry so rude," he told her. "We're expecting a raid this afternoon and we've all got to disappear as fast as possible. Change your clothes, hide your hair, and we're out of here. I'll catch you up later."

"Some kind of cover you are," she heard someone say. She didn't know whether it was Blake or the guy with the gun who'd been waiting for them. "Can't even keep your targets in sight."

"I understand," Ashley told Carlos' brother. "I'll be ready in a minute."

He nodded quickly, disappearing around the other side of the makeshift screen.

"Not much I can do in room full of people 'cept shoot it up," a second voice was saying. "A little gratitude for the guy who got the one that shot you, all right?"

"You get hurt?" she heard Gabe ask.

"Nah," the first voice answered. "Bit of a burn, that's all. Singed my jacket good."

Ashley stepped into the baggy green pants Gabe had left for her, tugging them into place around her waist. She kept the shirt she'd been wearing under her field gear, settling the loose, dark, button-down shirt into place over it. She bundled the gear into as carry-able a form as she could manage and stepped out from behind the rack.

She stared. The three boys, formerly dressed in black and muted color uniforms, had transformed--all three of them--in the time it had taken her to change. The dangerous looking guy with the gun was in exactly the same position she'd left him in, lounging back in a chair, now with a shredded t-shirt hanging over his shoulders that barely reached the waistband of jeans that had seen better days.

Ashley blinked, tearing her eyes away to assess the others. Neither of the others made the generically dark and often torn clothes look quite so glamorous... daring, almost risque. In fact, Blake was bundled into so many layers that it might as well have been winter in Canada here. Gabe was wearing a coat that looked so heavy it had to slow him down, but he didn't look bothered by it.

In fact, he was giving her the same critical look she was giving him.

"Better put your field jacket back on," Gabe said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Under the long sleeves. No offense, Ash," and this time his lips quirked in a reassuringly Carlos-like way, "but you're such a girl."

"Is that a problem around here?" she wondered, as she followed his instructions quickly.

"Yeah," Blake said, and now, hearing him speak where she could see him, she knew that he was the one who had teased the guy with the gun about being cover. "For us. Hunter's our designated pretty boy. Can't have any competition, you get what I'm saying?"

He jerked his chin at the gun-toting guy in shredded clothes, leaving no doubt about who "Hunter" was. "I get it," she said, even though she didn't.

"Wait." Blake stopped her before she could button her shirt up again. "Trade ya."

He stripped off his hooded sweatshirt and held it out, and she offered him the button-down wordlessly. "It's the hair," he said with a shrug, seeing her confused expression.

The sound of running footsteps in the hallway prevented her from replying, even if she'd had any idea what to ask. They were obviously still in danger, and she wasn't going to get any answers until they got wherever they were going. Hunter was already on his feet, standing by the door before she knew he'd moved. He was tense, waiting, even if he still gave off that surface attitude of utter relaxation.

There was a banging on the door. Hunter tossed a look over his shoulder, raked them all with those piercing eyes, then flung the door wide. Two more people pounded by as she watched, but there was no sign of the person who had knocked.

Then Hunter was gone and Gabe had grabbed her elbow again, hurrying her toward the door with Blake. "Stay with us," he said loudly, right next to her ear. It was the only way she could hear him, and she did her best to catch every word. "We're gonna have to run for a while. Run, hide, run, hide--you got it?"

She did, but he hadn't waited to find out. The next few minutes were a rush of hallways and slamming doors, sometimes people around her and sometimes not. When they burst out into an alleyway, she saw Hunter running ahead of them again, gun flung over his shoulder like a decoration, banging against his back as he loped along. Blake was nowhere to be seen.

Ashley heard the whine of fighter engines over her head, but she didn't have time to look up. They came under fire the moment they raced into the street. Everyone was running, people were screaming, and Gabe shoved her so hard that she almost fell.

"Get down!" he shouted at her, and she realized he'd meant her to. "Face down and don't move!"

She hit the ground without another second's hesitation, vaguely aware of him crashing down beside her. She could hear laser fire hitting the street a little ways to the left, hitting, melting, moving on. Moving up the street. She stayed where she was, as motionless as she could make herself when her breath was coming in pants. With the hood over her head and her hair shielding her face she couldn't see a thing besides the pavement pressed up against her cheek.

Then Gabe was shaking her shoulder, and she threw off the hood and rolled to her feet. "All right, let's go!" he was yelling. "Hunter, go on ahead; Ash, get your hood up!"

What difference the hood was going to make she had no idea, but she obeyed anyway and took off after him when he started to run. They must have gone through half the town that way. She hid when he did, followed when he didn't, and completely failed to keep track of either Hunter or Blake. They were eerily invisible when she wasn't looking directly at them.

She finally dove through a rickety door into a room lit only by the late afternoon sunlight through the windows and every fighting sense she had went on high alert. It was the difference between the pure adrenaline of dodging danger in the streets and the steely terror of multiple target locks suddenly focusing on her and her alone. Ashley froze.

"It's okay, she's the one," Gabe said into the sudden quiet. "I saw her teleport in myself, haven't taken my eyes off her since." He reached out and yanked her hood back, not gently, but carefully enough that he didn't pull her hair.

She looked around, holding her hands out to the sides warily. She couldn't see anyone, not even Hunter or Blake. But she knew someone was there nonetheless. Several someones, or her instincts were no good at all.

"Blake?" a voice asked. As soon as he spoke, Ashley could see him: a man in a dark uniform almost identical to the one Gabe and the others had been wearing earlier. He was leaning up against the wall beside the door, surveying the room casually.

"Yeah," Blake agreed, appearing at the back of the room. He had arrived by more conventional means, stepping through a door she hadn't noticed until he used it. "Saw her arrive too."

"So did I," Hunter's voice agreed grudgingly. She looked up in surprise, catching sight of the gunner perched on a narrow ledge above one of the near windows. With most of the light below him, he was more in shadow than any of them. "Don't know what she's supposed to look like, but that was a Ranger teleportation stream she came in on."

It was the most he'd spoken in her presence since she'd met him. She tried not to stare at him, but his clothes--or more accurately the lack thereof--made it harder than it should have been. It was Gabe's voice that finally drew her attention away.

"This is Ashley," he said firmly. "We can trust her."

Ashley wasn't convinced these dark warriors trusted anyone, and she supposed she couldn't blame them. The forces of evil had been on Earth for more than two years now. Gabe and his friends were all that was left of justice on these streets.

But the man beside the door nodded once. Whatever he thought, he was apparently going to take Gabe's word for it. Hunter landed, startlingly quiet, on the floor in front of the window and padded over toward the doorway Blake had emerged from only moments before. He disappeared through it, and with a single backwards glance, Blake followed. Gabe indicated the door with one hand, offering her a smile. "Down the rabbit hole," he suggested lightly.

She just shook her head, a small smile curling her lips in return. "You're going to tell me what this is all about, right?" she asked, allowing herself to be guided toward the door at the back of the room.

"Sure," Gabe agreed easily. "Soon as I figure it out myself."

Ashley put out her hands uncertainly as the stairwell turned a corner and the light from the door above was cut off. Someone grabbed her outstretched hands and she started, but followed the tug obediently. Only when the person in front of her spoke did she recognize him as Hunter.

"Just 'cross the floor, here." The words drifted to her in the darkness, even the light behind her gone now that Gabe had closed the door behind them. "Then we'll be able to see again."

He didn't seem to be having any trouble, but Ashley chose not to mention that. There was some creaking, a sound that could have been another door, and then Hunter's voice warned, "Lights now."

Two flashlights sprang to life at the same time, and she flinched involuntarily. In the sudden brightness she saw Gabe removing two more flashlights from behind an old stack of boxes and passing one to her. Hunter and Blake shone theirs around the enclosed space in which they found themselves, and she realized that there was a door behind her after all.

There was also a heavy metal shelving unit in front of her, which Hunter and Blake seemed to be doing their best to push out of the way. They made a strange pair, almost surreal in the shifting light: one tall and blonde and flashing skin with every movement, the other shorter and dark and wrapped in more clothes than she was. Yet they seemed to recognize each other's movements, working together without a word, almost as though they could read each other's thoughts.

The flashlights revealed a narrow passage when the shelving was cleared. A tunnel of darkness, maybe just a hole in the wall or maybe something much deeper, more extensive. She glanced at Gabe uncertainly, and he grinned. It was the first grin she'd seen on his face, but somehow it didn't reassure her.

"Pretty high-tech, huh?" He gestured at the darkness, apparently indicating that she should precede him into the shadows. "Welcome to the ninja resistance."

7. Face the Storm

"Where are we going?" Ashley asked, sighing inwardly. They'd been walking for longer than she could guess, and she'd tried very hard not to ask that question. This wasn't her territory, it didn't follow her rules, and if she didn't trust the people she was with then she might as well not have come.

But she was bored. Andros would just love that as an excuse, she thought wryly. A blown cover, a failed op, and another dead Ranger, all because she was bored. She knew as well as he would, though, that just because she played by the rules didn't mean any or all of those things wouldn't happen. So she might as well invent her own rules for a while and see if she could get some answers.

"Safehouse on the edge of town," Gabe answered, surprising her with his straightforward reply. "We're almost there."

"We've got a guy out there." Blake must have been just as bored, because he hadn't volunteered a single word since they'd gone underground. "He knows we're coming."

He glanced over his shoulder, and Ashley followed his gaze instinctively. The only thing behind them was Hunter, blast rifle still slung casually over his shoulder as he strolled along. The beam from his flashlight flickered toward them and away as Blake asked, "You want my jacket, bro?"

The only response was a snort that made Blake grin.

"Your funeral," the shorter boy said lightly.

Ashley shot a covert look back at Hunter. She had no idea what had prompted Blake to ask that: she was overheating in her own clothes, and Hunter certainly didn't look cold. She smiled to herself as she dragged her eyes back where they belonged. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She didn't even notice the ladder until Gabe had stopped beside it, flicking his flashlight off and stuffing it into a coat pocket. Blake shone his light into Gabe's path to compensate, and it didn't surprise Ashley that Gabe kept his blaster in his hand as he climbed. Light, no. Weapon, yes. They had their priorities.

He paused at the top, doing something she couldn't discern to the trapdoor above before heaving it open. Light flooded down into the darkness as Gabe slithered through the opening and his shadow disappeared. Blake was next, and Ashley finally remembered to turn off her flashlight when it was her turn to ascend. Blake took the light from her when she pulled herself out--

Into the middle of a perfectly normal looking hallway. It was a far cry from the secrecy and subterfuge surrounding the entrance at the other end, she thought. Then she heard Hunter closing the trapdoor behind him, offering a terse, "Gonna do a perimeter check," before he slunk off down the hall and disappeared.

"You can run," Blake muttered under his breath.

Ashley gave him an odd look when he didn't continue that sentence, but he just returned it with a disarming grin. "Hungry?" he asked innocently.

She was, but Gabe interrupted. "We need to check in with Cam first. He was still working on the portals when I left, but you know he'll want to hear what Ash has to say along with the rest of us."

"Can I at least ditch the sweatshirt now?" Ashley asked, only half-joking.

"Sure, yeah," Gabe said absently, leading the way down the hall in the opposite direction Hunter had gone. "We should be okay here. If Cam can't keep a little place like this secure, we're more screwed than we know."

She was happy to be free of the bulky hoodie. In concession to the temperature she pulled off her field jacket too, draping them both over one arm while she followed Gabe through an open doorway. "Who's Cam?" she wanted to know.

The room they had just entered wasn't empty, and the moment she realized that was the moment she guessed the answer to her own question. The person turning away from the clearly jerry-rigged computer was Cam. He must be a contact person of some kind, maybe even one of their own if they trusted him to hold this place.

"This is Cam," Gabe said easily, confirming her suspicion. "He's in charge of the tech. Cam, Ashley. The Yellow Ranger."

"Former," Ashley corrected. Her bare wrist was obvious now, and she didn't want any of them getting the wrong impression. She represented the Rangers. She wasn't one of them, not anymore. Not when her morpher could do more good defending the Free Systems than it could out here on some crazy mission behind enemy lines.

Another crazy mission behind enemy lines. She had to stop making such a habit of this.

"Nice to meet you, Ashley." Cam rose from his chair to give her hand a perfunctory shake.

"You too," she said with a warm smile. "Does 'tech' mean what I think it means?"

"Probably." His answering smile was more reserved--just being polite, she thought. She got the feeling that she didn't really matter to him. Or maybe she mattered for what she represented, just not for who she was. She could have been anyone with the right qualifications and he would have reacted exactly the same way. The detachment was disconcerting after the close personal relations of the Free Systems' teams.

"Aren't you missing someone?" Cam was asking, gaze flicking across each of them in turn.

"Outside," Blake said briefly.

"Cam, we're gonna need to get Ashley a visual of the tech situation." Gabe swung a second chair around backwards and dropped into it, giving Cam a steady look. "She's here to help."

Cam returned the look for a long moment, then turned his appraising gaze back on her. "There's no problem with the tech," he said evenly. "The problem is launching it without it being traced, which is imperative if there's going to be more than a single strike."

"Which there has to be," Ashley agreed. "Your strength here is the territory and your ability to vanish into it quickly, right?"

Cam's expression didn't flicker, which she suspected was a good sign. He nodded once, and that encouraged her to continue. She'd read more into less, after all.

"So the best way to capitalize on that must be to increase the consequences of the battles you're already fighting." She glanced over at Gabe, quickly, but he was just watching their interaction. No matter what system they were using, Cam clearly outranked Gabe.

"You'll get the attention of the occupation pretty quick," Ashley continued. "You'll have to be able to move fast when they clamp down, and the only way that's going to happen is if every piece of tech you started with is still mobile. How are you hiding it now?"

Cam folded his arms across his chest, but he answered easily enough. "There are holographic portals on-site at about half the old academies. They're invisible before and after launch, but when they're in use there's no way to hide them or the energy they draw."

"Two options, then. Distract prying eyes or disguise whatever they're looking for," Ashley said slowly. It was abstract enough to be obvious, but she saw Cam nod again anyway. "Is there anything else that kind of energy surge could be?"

She thought she heard a grudging respect in his tone when he spoke again. "I've been working on that, actually. It's a short-term coverup... eventually someone will make the connection, no matter how innocuous the explanation."

"Eventually," Ashley repeated, eyeing him. "We both know there won't be any 'eventually' in this kind of rebellion."

"I like to cover every contingency." Cam's gaze flicked past her for a moment and his eyebrows lifted slightly. She turned her eyes toward the door and blinked, surprised to see Hunter leaning casually against the frame.

His gaze was as intent as Cam's, if focused in the opposite direction. Something wordless passed between them. She glanced around covertly, but all she saw was Blake smirking and Gabe ignoring them in favor of something on the computer.

"Fuck, Hunter," Cam said at last, breaking the momentary silence. The words startled her, but his tone was just as calm as it had been before. "Why do you bother putting on the shirt at all?"

A slow grin spread across Hunter's face. "'Cause I know you like the color," he drawled. He didn't move from what she now thought might be a deliberately provocative pose in the doorway. The stance was doubly effective in clothes that were meant to reveal more than they hid--and it was clearly for the benefit of one person in particular.

Whatever else he might be, Ashley realized, Hunter was definitely off the market.

"Time for a field trip," Gabe announced suddenly. When she glanced over at him, though, she realized he was studying the specs she wanted on Cam's monitor. She drifted closer to look over his shoulder.

"Can we actually see them?" Ashley asked, although that did seem to be what he was implying. Somehow the physical presence of the giant robotic assault vehicles was very important--to her, and to all of them too, she had no doubt.

Cam had conditions anyway. She had expected that, but she hadn't expected them to be so flippant. "Only if Hunter wears a jacket," he remarked, turning in his chair to look at the displays Gabe was scrolling through. He was so nonchalant that he might have been commenting on something else entirely.

"Why?" Hunter's voice, on the other hand, was not the slightest bit casual. "Afraid you might be distracted?"

"Afraid I might accidentally kill anyone who tried to take you up on your cover," Cam told the computer. His composure was as calm and offhanded as before, but Ashley didn't hear good-natured ribbing in his words. There was an understated seriousness there that made her glad she hadn't flirted with Hunter in Cam's presence.

"Now you know why Cam doesn't come with us on raids," Blake offered, and his tone at least was teasing. "Can keep his hands to himself--as long as everyone else does, too."

"Can we get going?" Gabe demanded. "There's a little more at stake here than whether or not Hunter gets lucky tonight."

"Tonight?" Hunter smirked at him. "Who said anything about waiting till tonight?"

Blake took one look at Gabe's irritated expression and grabbed Hunter's arm. "Time for a tactical retreat, bro," he advised. "Let's go let 'em know we're coming."

In a voice just loud enough to be heard on the other side of the room, Cam muttered, "Change your clothes before I do it for you."

Irrepressible, Hunter called back, "Promises, promises!"

"Dammit, Andros!" Zhane glared at him over the insulated mug he had just slammed down onto the table. If it hadn't had a cover, the liquid inside would be everywhere by now. "This is the worst time to consider changing the patrol rotation!"

"It's the best time," Andros countered, reaching for the mug automatically. "We have two people who need to learn to fight, and two teammates who need someone to watch their backs while they do it!"

"Teammates who aren't used to fighting with a full team anymore and don't need their experience compromised now, of all times, just so you can babysit them!" Zhane shot back.

"Backup and babysitting are not the same thing," Andros informed him.

"Yeah?" Zhane challenged. "What does TJ think about it?"

Andros opened his mouth, but before he could speak Zhane yelled over to the former Red Turbo Ranger. "TJ!" He leaned back in his chair and waved to direct attention to himself across the intervening tables. When it became clear he had interrupted a conversation, Zhane pushed himself out of his chair and started in their direction.

With a sigh, Andros shook his head and returned to his breakfast. He probably should have asked TJ himself. He wasn't used to this kind of Ranger politicking. Where he came from, the Red Ranger decided and that was the end of it. Around here, every fifth person he met was or had been a Red Ranger themselves, and he couldn't discount that kind of informed experience.

By the time Zhane came back, Andros had all but decided to abide by Zhane's wishes. If TJ didn't want their established patrol rotation disrupted, then it wouldn't be. TJ and Cassandra could handle the training of their two newest teammates, and he and Zhane would continue pulling the split shift alone.

"He agrees with you," Zhane announced, dropping into the chair he had vacated before. "Thinks it's for the best if all six of us fly out together."

Andros blinked. Glancing over in the direction Zhane had come from, he caught TJ's eye and received a thumbs up from the leader of the Earth Rangers. His mouth quirked in an ironic smile, and he got a quick nod in return. He and TJ didn't think so differently after all.

"Thanks for checking with him," Andros said, turning back to Zhane before the smile faded. "I should have thought of that."

Zhane just shrugged, the same smile flickering across his face. "That's what I'm here for."

Andros saw Zhane wince at the sound of TJ's locker slamming in the quiet prep room. Andros just continued stowing his gear, accepting that this was TJ's role when it came to the pilots for whom he was responsible. He and TJ had been supervising their own shifts for months now, and that wasn't going to change just because they were flying the same patrol again.

"There's a difference between an attack formation and convoy defense," TJ declared, his gaze locked with that of the new Black Ranger. "You were trained for both and you shouldn't have any trouble distinguishing between the two."

"Look, no offense," the man replied, in a tone that implied exactly the opposite, "but it's not the procedure I'm having trouble with. It's why you'd want to use it in the first place."

"Hey," Cassandra snapped. "Maybe you should settle in for a few days before you start rewriting the rules, okay?"

"We do what we do because it works," TJ added. "And you don't know what works until you've been out there and come back. We have, and I'd appreciate it if you'd try it our way first."

The man held up his hands in surrender--or a warding gesture, it was hard to tell. "Fine, hey, I'm not trying to start trouble. You say you know what you're doing, I believe you. I'm just telling you I'll react quicker if I anticipate you, and I can't do that until I know why you're doing what you do."

Andros saw TJ's shoulder relax a little. "Yeah," the Blue Ranger said easily. "Tell you what, join us for lunch. I'll try and go over some of the weirder stuff with you then."

"That'd be great." The man turned away, closing his own locker with some difficulty, and Andros caught Zhane's eye.

"Ready?" Andros asked. When Zhane nodded, he raised his voice to address the rest of the team. "Good job, guys. That was a tough first patrol."

"It only gets harder from here," Zhane quipped, and Andros rolled his eyes.

Zhane slapped the comm with a quick, fluid motion that belied the feel of utter relaxation beneath Andros' hands. His shoulder muscles worked quickly, guiding his arm, his hand, his fingers to the source of that annoying sound and forcing it to cease. Then his arm fell back to his side and he was all boneless calm again.

Andros had to chuckle, kneading his own fingers into either side of Zhane's spine. "JT's going to pull a visual override if you keep hanging up on him like that," he said quietly. He didn't want the interruption any more than Zhane did, but their younger friend's persistence wasn't something to be underestimated.

"JT can go to--" Zhane's mumble was cut off by a sharply indrawn breath as Andros hit a tight spot in his back. The Silver Ranger was so frustratingly graceful that the tension he carried always came as a surprise.

"Sorry," Andros murmured, gentling his touch. "You all right?"

"Mmm hmm." Zhane didn't even bother to nod. "Can't think of a better way to spend my lunch break."

"I can think of a few," Andros remarked, careful to keep a straight face.

He heard Zhane's half-hearted snicker anyway, and he knew that right now at least, Zhane hadn't said what he did lightly. He really did prefer this warm comfort to anything else, and Andros didn't blame him. Sex was easier to come by than comfort these days. He pressed his hands harder against Zhane's back, the warmth of those pliant muscles seeping into his fingers.

Andros' morpher chimed.

Andros sighed, but he gave Zhane a reproving tap on the back of the head. "See what you've done?" he chided. "Now JT's going to be mad at me."

A soft breath of laughter escaped from Zhane, who hadn't even lifted his head at the interruption of the rebuke. "It's hard to be you," he muttered mockingly.

Andros touched his morpher and lifted his left wrist. "This is Andros."

"JT," the voice replied. "Quarantine. Ranger briefing as soon as you can get here."

He was so matter-of-fact that it took a moment for the words to register. He knew he wouldn't get anything more out of the former Turbo Ranger, though, so he just asked, "Where's here?"

"Co-Op," JT answered. "War room, second level briefing. Bring Zhane."

The reader clattered to the table just before Andros' palm struck the surface beside it. "This has to be weeks old. What good does it do us to quarantine anyone now?"

"You'd rather not?" Zhane asked quietly. Pointedly.

"Where does this come from?" Jenkarta wanted to know. "How do we know that what they've heard is even close to--"

"She knows the symptoms," Saryn interrupted. Then, seeming to realize that he had violated the first principle of the UC operatives, he amended, "The person who sent this. They know what to look for."

"How many people do we have coming and going?" Zhane asked. "The border's a war zone; it's not like there are civilian transports going back and forth."

"Enough." How Saryn had time to keep up with every report that went through Co-Op Andros would never know. "The quarantine will not be sufficient to stop the spread of this epidemic."

"It'll slow it down," JT said firmly. "And maybe it will contain it some, however far it's gotten."

Saryn didn't answer, and Andros exchanged glances with Zhane. They knew they were lucky that Ashley and Carlos had gotten out the day before... they'd just better hope the two Earth Rangers didn't run into any trouble. With Eltare under lockdown, no one would be coming back to this planet for any reason.

"They haven't been able to track patient zero," JT was saying, although Andros had missed the question that prompted his response. "We may never know where it started, with the way it is out on the border right now."

"Slave traders." Saryn made the words sound like the epithet they should be. "They are notorious for allowing contagion to spread unchecked."

"It doesn't do us any good to worry about how it started," Jenkarta said with a sigh. "We're going to have to take care of our UCs." He glanced over at Andros then, adding, "Yours included. They can't come back here."

Andros just nodded. "How widespread is the quarantine? People inbound from the border must be holing up somewhere."

"Yeah, sure," JT said with a twist of his lips. "The ones who register are being diverted."

"And the ones who do not," Saryn said grimly, "are the ones who make quarantine a futile exercise."

"You're as bad as Andros," Zhane muttered. "Get over it, guys."

Saryn gave him a sharp look, but for once Zhane's criticism provoked no reply.

Andros looked up in surprise as Zhane kicked the wall behind the head of the bed. He was lying where he had fallen, stretched out on his back with his arms over his head and his feet hitting the wall when he swung them up off the floor. It was an overly dramatic sprawl, but Andros couldn't tell if he kicked the wall deliberately or by accident.

"You okay?" he asked carefully. Normally the one of the calmest people he knew, Zhane did have a destructive tendency when pushed past his limits. Being Zhane, it was usually self-destructive, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd literally beaten himself up over something.

"Hell of a day," Zhane said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Andros agreed, coming over to stand by the bed so he could stare down into his lover's eyes. "You okay?" he repeated.

At that, Zhane's lips twitched and his blue eyes met Andros' steadily. "Yeah," he echoed. "Just... a hell of a day."

"Aren't they all," Andros said, dropping down onto the bed beside him. In some ways, he almost envied Ashley and Carlos their impossible missions to a distant galaxy--at least it was some kind of break in the relentless routine. "It's not an easy life."

Zhane sighed again. "It used to be."

Andros glanced at him, reaching out instinctively to touch, to reassure himself that Zhane wasn't going anywhere. He stroked his fingers through the unkempt blonde hair, shorter now than it used to be with Ashley to cut it for him, and he wondered, not for the first time, whether Zhane regretted any of the decisions between then and now. "Do you miss it?" he asked softly.

Zhane lifted his gaze without moving his head. "Every day," he admitted. "Damn, Andros, we didn't know how good we had it back then."

"We?" Andros repeated, relieved that Zhane hadn't gone quite as far back as he'd thought.

Zhane seemed to know what he was thinking. "Don't miss the days before you," he said. "The days before the war, sure. The beach, the freedom... you in something other than a uniform," he added, lifting one hand to pick affectionately at Andros' sleeve. "Nothing else."

"We'll have that again," Andros said softly. They both knew it was a dream, that those days were gone forever--but it was an awfully good dream for all that.

"Yeah." Zhane was smiling up at him, no regret or disbelief in his expression. "That's what I'm fighting for."

Blinding light made him throw up one arm in defense, but the blaster in his other hand remained steady as it targeted the light instinctively. Anything could be behind that brilliant glow. There were no guarantees that shooting at it would help, but he was ready to take that chance.

The sound of a voice might have been more soothing if he'd recognized the language it was speaking. Carlos was pretty sure it wasn't any of the standard UAE dialects, but the voice didn't continue long enough for him to narrow it down further. "Who's there?" he called, still squinting into the harsh light.

There was a brief pause. Then an oddly accented voice spoke in his own language--a woman's voice, he thought. "Identify yourself."

"You first," Carlos retorted, squinting hard as he let his hand fall. It wasn't doing any good anyway. His blaster remained locked on to the source of the light.

"We are the Rangers of Aquitar," the voice replied. Definitely a woman's voice.

We? He wondered what exactly that meant. More than one? Less than all of them? With a sigh, he realized that it didn't really matter. They had found him, and he probably ought to thank them for it, since wandering around the totaled command center wasn't getting him anywhere.

"Well," Carlos said, pointing his blaster toward the ceiling as he thumbed the safety back on, "I guess you're who I'm looking for, then." He made himself lower his own weapon, no matter that it made his skin crawl to do so when he still couldn't see the person or people he was speaking to.

"And you are?" a new voice demanded. This one was female too... and this one he knew. He grimaced, well aware that his reaction was probably obvious to whoever was standing on the other side of that damn light.

"Carlos," he informed her. As she knew very well. "Carlos Vargas, of Earth, formerly the Black Astro Ranger for the Free Systems."

"You do not wear a morpher," she remarked. The deliberate skepticism rankled.

"What part of 'former' did you not get?" he snapped.

"Enough." The first voice spoke before she could reply, and suddenly the light was shifting. The overwhelming brilliance pooled on the ground at his feet and he could see. Really see, and it took him a moment to realize that there was light on the ceiling too. Even the walls... the walls were glowing. It was like the light had soaked into them, charging them like some kind of freaky glow-in-the-dark room while it was blinding him.

"Carlos Vargas." There were five people in front of him, and it was the woman in the middle who spoke. "You are welcome here. I am Cetaci, White Ranger of Aquitar. These are my teammates: Aura, Cestria, Delphinius, and Billy."

She indicated each with her eyes as she introduced them. He tried very hard to match name to color, since they all looked pretty much the same to him. Except for... "Billy?" Carlos repeated.

Their leader glanced sideways at the Ranger he had named, and he gave a small smile. "Billy Cranston," he said. He stepped forward to offer his hand in greeting, and Carlos shook it automatically. None of the others made any movement.

"What are you doing--" Carlos suddenly thought better of his assumption. "Are you from Earth?" he asked carefully.

"I used to be." Billy didn't look annoyed by his interest. "I came out here five and a half years ago. This has been my home ever since."

Great, Carlos thought with an inward sigh. First his double from the other dimension, and now this dimension's Billy Cranston. What was it about this planet, anyway?

"What are you doing here?" the Red Ranger demanded. She had obviously understood the question he had decided not to ask Billy, and she threw it back at him with no small amount of hostility.

"I told you," he retorted, narrowing his eyes at her. "Looking for you." His gaze flicked to the leader, and he added, "I'd like to talk to you about the war."

The White Ranger... Cetaci? Normally the Power made memorizing names a simple task, but he was feeling its lack today. Cetaci, he was pretty sure, held up her hand when her teammate tried to respond. "Aura," she snapped, when the gesture wasn't enough.

Aura subsided, but not without fixing a dark look on him that he would have loved to return. The feeling's mutual, lady, he thought. You just stay on your side of the room and I'll stay on mine, and we'll all be happier.

"We're aware that you've come to ask something of us in this war," Cetaci was saying. "Our participation, most likely, and I will tell you one thing right now. The chances that the people of this planet will choose to return to war are remote."

She studied him for a moment, and no matter how much he wanted to argue he had a feeling she wasn't finished. So he just watched her, the way she was watching him, and finally she nodded almost imperceptibly. "However, the Rangers--" and he didn't miss the slight emphasis she put on the word, "will listen to what you have to say."

Had she just made a distinction between the Rangers and the rest of the people of Aquitar, Carlos wondered? And if she had, what did that mean? He raked his gaze over the rest of her team briefly, but there was no help there. Only Aura's expression was even readable, and what he read there certainly wasn't helpful.

"Let us proceed to the surface," Cetaci suggested. "You will be more comfortable there, I think."

He raised an eyebrow, but decided it would be impolite to refuse the courtesy. And if it meant getting out of this spooky command center, he was all for it. If nothing else, though, he was curious about their apparent nonchalance at his presence. Weren't they the least bit worried that a total stranger had teleported onto their supposedly hidden planet?

"So," Carlos began, following behind Cetaci and her Black Ranger while he took note of the other three falling into position behind him. "You don't seem very surprised to see me."

"We expected that someone from Eltare would come." Cetaci's voice drifted back to him, echoing oddly in the empty corridors. With only one light in front of him and another having appeared behind, he was glad the halls seemed to glow so easily. "We did not know that it would be you, but it was not... improbable."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously.

"The Ranger who visited us before," Cetaci replied. "Your counterpart from another dimension, or so he told us." Before Carlos could agree, she continued, "He did us a great service--and created a debt that has yet to be paid. In your place, I would seek restitution for such a debt."

Carlos frowned at her back, uncomfortable with her emotionless recital of the facts. Uncomfortable, maybe, that she had seen through him so easily. "I was talking about how I got here," he muttered. "Not why."

"You enlisted the assistance of our counterparts in the other dimension, did you not?" Again, Cetaci didn't really seem to expect a reply. "It is what I would have done, faced with a similar scenario."

Charming. So she was a mindreader now, too? Partly to contradict her, and partly for the benefit of the Red Ranger behind him, Carlos declared, "If it was up to me, I wouldn't be here at all."

"No," Cetaci agreed, surprising him with the subtle amusement he heard in her voice. "That would have been your team leader's decision. Does Andros of KO-35 still lead the Astro Rangers?"

He gaped at her. She just continued walking, and he almost forgot to follow as she turned the corner ahead of him. "How do you know that?" Carlos demanded. His stride faltered again as he came around the corner, and finally he gave in to the temptation to just stop and stare.

They were inside an underwater dome. He hadn't been completely convinced until this moment, when he was confronted by the edge of that dome and everything that lay beyond it. Clusters of other domes, some of them lit, most of them not, rose out of the shadowed depths around them in every direction. He had no way of knowing whether what he was seeing was normal or not, but Cetaci's expression when he glanced over at her wasn't proud.

She, too, was gazing through the transparent wall at the city beyond. "What I don't know almost enslaved this planet," Cetaci said quietly. "I will not make that mistake again."

He saw one of the other Rangers shift, frowning in her direction. The Black Ranger. Maybe it was his silent reaction, maybe something else, but something prompted Carlos to reply. "You did a better job than we did," he muttered. It sounded more bitter than he had meant it to.

There was silence for a moment.

"We would not have succeeded," Cetaci said at last. "We made our stand where you did not and it was not enough." He could feel her watching him. "In the end, we ran too."

That was a disturbing thought, and not just because he didn't like to think of it as "running." Instead of protesting, though, he pointed out the only difference that mattered. "You took your people with you when you did it."

"Yes," Cetaci agreed calmly. "We took them with us. Because you made it possible."

Carlos gave her a startled look before he realized that she must be talking about his counterpart from the other dimension. "You mean the other me," he blurted. "From Justin's dimension."

He saw the Red Ranger walk away, stepping up to the side of the dome and putting an appreciable distance between herself and her teammates. Between herself and him. He ignored her as much as he could.

"We are the same people in different circumstances," Cetaci said calmly. "You are correct, however. I refer to a Ranger Carlos who visited us from a dimension already on the victorious side of this war."

"He helped make your planet invisible to the rest of the universe," Carlos guessed, studying her intently. They hadn't been able to draw a lot of conclusions about what had happened to Aquitar, but most of the ones they had reached involved his counterpart in some way.

Cetaci returned his stare with one of her own, but it was an even gaze that didn't flinch from his curiosity or his confusion. "He saved my life."

Carlos blinked. "I... didn't know that."

"Aquitar isn't invisible," Cetaci said abruptly. "It is simply shifted in a way that makes it more difficult to detect with traditional scanners. Cestria made this possible." She glanced at one of her teammates, and there must have been something in that silent communication that asked the Yellow Ranger to continue.

"As Keeper of the Falls, I thought I could protect the planet in this way by myself." The Ranger who spoke had a quiet voice, young and almost delicate. Strange choice for a fighter, Carlos thought.

"I did not have all the information," the girl added. "Cetaci retrieved the records we needed and was almost captured for her effort."

"They weren't trying to capture me," Cetaci interrupted. "I would have been dead had the other Carlos not arrived when he did. He saved my life," she repeated, "and with it, the information I carried. This is what allowed our planet to remove itself from occupied territory."

Carlos waited to see if there was more, but neither of them seemed inclined to keep speaking. "Sounds like he did you a pretty big favor," he offered cautiously.

Cetaci's expression didn't change. She nodded once, and her gaze shifted to the edge of the transparent dome in front of them. "Our entire world owes a Ranger of Earth," she agreed. "There may be nothing we can do for him. But..." She looked at him again. "If there is something we can do for his planet, the Rangers of Aquitar will not dismiss our debt so lightly."

"You see the problem."

Cam's face filled the screen to her left, although he wasn't looking at her. He seemed to have an aversion to actually meeting anyone's gaze for more than a few seconds at a time--except when it came to Hunter. She glanced at the gunner behind her, lounging casually against the bulkhead at the back of the cockpit. He looked unconcerned to the point of boredom, but she was perfectly aware of what was happening.

She was in one of the robotic assault vehicles, and Cam was in another. They were talking via comm, no doubt because Cam was too important a person to be left alone with a relative stranger. Instead, Hunter was the one squeezed into the tiny space with her. Not because he had any knowledge of the systems or their deployment, but because he had a weapon that he hadn't put down since she'd met him.

Ashley was under guard and she knew it. She didn't hold it against them, either. She didn't have a morpher, after all, and it was only her word and Gabe's memory that she was who she said she was. And the more she realized the extent of Cam's familiarity with these systems, the more she understood their desire to protect him. His relationship with Hunter wasn't the only reason he didn't go on raids.

"Yeah," she said aloud, responding to the statement that had taken her comprehension for granted. "I see it." Gabe might have called them "robotic assault vehicles," but these were more than just enhanced military weaponry. These were zords.

"These were designed to work with morphers," Ashley said aloud, just for the sake of confirming her suspicion.

"Not just morphers," Cam's voice replied. "Ninja morphers. The pilots are going to have to have some sort of elemental affinity, or these systems will fight every command they give."

That was a bigger problem than she'd expected. "Where are those morphers?" Ashley asked carefully.

"Some of them were never constructed," Cam answered, still not looking up. She couldn't imagine what he was doing to the controls that could take that much of his attention. "Some of them were lost in the invasion."

Cam's hands stilled on the console in front of him and he lifted his gaze to the screen at last. "I have three of them," he told her, after a long moment. "Leanne has three more. That's all that's left."

Ashley heard Hunter shift behind her. Somehow she knew Cam wasn't supposed to tell her that... or at least that Hunter hadn't expected him to. Interesting. Maybe he trusted her more than she'd thought. Or maybe he was that confident in their ability to stop her from leaking information they wanted to keep to themselves.

"You're not here to free Earth, are you," Cam remarked, so conversationally that she almost missed the significance of his words. As it was, she could only stare at him in surprise.

"There's no reason for you to come now," he continued. "No reason that I can see, at least, and since you're not talking about bringing in a fleet of reinforcements I assume you're counting on us to do most of the liberating ourselves. So why try to rally us now? Why bother trying to rush what would have happened eventually, with or without you?"

"There's no eventually in this war," Ashley reminded him, stung by his lack of faith in a team of Rangers that hadn't wanted to turn tail and run. They had always meant to come back. "There's more going on in the universe than you know, and believe me, you have a better chance with us than without us."

"I know we do." He looked disturbingly bitter about it. "I know we have no real choice but to accept your help and probably your leadership. But I also know we're not your real goal here, and if I'm going to be used as a pawn in someone else's game then I'd at least like to know what game it is."

Ashley didn't have to look over her shoulder to know that Hunter was staring at her just as hard as Cam was. "That's fair," she said evenly, well aware that any other answer would get her nowhere. And it was fair, after all. If they were going to fight on her say-so, they deserved to know why.

How best to summarize the situation? "The Free Systems are trying to form an alliance with a mutinous faction within Dark Spectre's army," she said at last. "To make ourselves less vulnerable, we need a distraction. Earth is it."

Cam leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, still staring at the screen. Why had she ever thought he didn't like to look people in the eye? "Does it matter to you whether we succeed?" he asked bluntly.

"Of course it matters," Ashley snapped. "This is our home too!"

"This is your home," Cam corrected. "I have no way of knowing who's calling the shots back in the Free Systems, or wherever you came from."

She opened her mouth, then stopped. He hadn't thrown their leaving in her face again, and that was something. And if it came down to technicalities, he was right. This was her idea, but it had been Andros' support that got it an audience. Her team leader wasn't even from this galaxy, and she probably would have questioned Andros' motivation too if her place and Cam's had been reversed.

"Yes," she said after a moment. She owed them the most impartial answer she could give. "It matters to the Free Systems. The more successful the rebellion, the worse off Dark Spectre is and the better our position becomes. A short, brutal struggle won't have much of an effect. It's in the Free Systems' best interests to make the resistance as effective as possible when it takes on the bad guys."

"You say that," Cam observed, "as though it's just a matter of how long. Like you take the outcome for granted."

Ashley almost smiled. She did take the outcome for granted--but it probably wasn't the outcome he was thinking of. Andros was contagious. "I didn't come here to fight," Ashley said fiercely. "I came here to win."

Cam's stare didn't abate, and from over her shoulder she heard Hunter drawl, "You gonna be piloting one of these zords, then?"

She kept her gaze on the screen displaying Cam's cockpit. "If you'll let me," she agreed.

Cam nodded once. Apparently she had passed some sort of test, because his next question was marginally friendlier. "Anything else you want to see from the inside?" he asked, sitting forward in his chair.

Ashley glanced around the cockpit, recognizing a dismissal when she heard one. "I'd really like to see them in action," she admitted. "They must be amazing. But I guess that'll have to wait."

She heard Hunter snort at her observation of the obvious, but Cam actually looked sort of... proud? Of course, she realized belatedly. He was in charge of these vehicles. Any compliments to them were, indirectly, compliments to him. She'd better remember that it probably worked the other way, too.

"You'll see them," Cam promised. "I think you'll find the ninja resistance can be a pretty impressive distraction."

"No doubt," Ashley said with a small smile.

Cam was getting up, doing things around the interior of the cockpit that temporarily blocked the screen she was watching. Shutdown procedures, she guessed, when the light behind him dimmed slightly. "I'll meet you outside," he told the screen. It went dark a moment later.

He wasn't one for long explanations, she noted with amusement. And he certainly didn't go in for much in the way of social courtesy. He asked what he wanted to know without reservation, and he told her what he thought of her answers. He reminded her a little bit of Jenkarta.

Future Red Ranger, she thought, smirking to herself.

"You ready?" Hunter asked gruffly.

"Yeah." Cam had shut down her zord the same way he had powered it up--remotely--so Ashley pushed herself up out of her chair and turned to follow Hunter up and out of the cockpit. How he climbed without that rifle getting in the way was a mystery to her, but she suspected he wouldn't appreciate her asking.

Cam was waiting for them on the floor outside. Instead of ushering her back the way they'd come, he gave her a considering look. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she said immediately, and his eyes flicked to her wrist. The device Gabe had given her was still there. She assumed it allowed her to teleport with them, and its presence seemed to satisfy Cam.

"We'll head back to town," he said, his gaze sliding over her to Hunter. "Is Leanne going to be at the club tonight?"

"Blake's contacted her by now," Hunter answered. "She'll be there."

"Then so will we." Cam's gaze lingered on him for a moment, and finally he said, "You can't go in there looking like that."

She glanced back at Hunter automatically, but he was smirking at Cam. "You're awfully determined to get me out of these clothes. You think anything I'm gonna wear to the club will be better?"

Cam didn't deign to answer. Instead he just gestured to Ashley, almost politely she thought, to precede them toward the same door they'd entered through. He fell into step beside her, Hunter shadowing them out into the labyrinthine tunnels. They reached the surface with a minimum of conversation, and the teleport was a little bit less disconcerting this time.

Hunter wasn't with them when they arrived at the safehouse. Ashley looked around, a little surprised, as Cam bent over the nearest keyboard. "What did I do to convince you I'm trustworthy enough to lose the guard?" she wanted to know.

Cam didn't so much as glance in her direction, giving his full attention to the monitor in front of him. "You told me the truth."

Well, that was fair. She waited while he did whatever he did, acutely aware that she was dependent on him and the rest of the resistance for... well, everything. This might be her planet, but it wasn't the same world she'd left behind three years ago. On her own, she'd get nowhere--if she was lucky. More likely she'd get herself captured, enslaved, or killed faster than she could figure out what was happening.

She realized suddenly that Cam was watching her. He must have seen some of what she was thinking in her face. "Come on," he said, gesturing for her to follow him out of the room. "We have stuff you can wear, and as soon as you change we'll get something to eat. Hunter'll make sure Gabe knows where we're going."

If he didn't sound exactly sympathetic, at least he sounded less curt. She didn't question the clothes, their destination, or the wrist device that he told her to lose if she got separated from the rest of them. "I'll get you something more subtle tonight," he told her. "In the meantime, there's a symbol on the back of that that'll get you into trouble if the wrong people see it."

By the time they arrived at "the club," Ashley was more than ready to see a familiar face. She almost didn't recognize Gabe, buried in the shadows at the back of the same bar they'd taken refuge in earlier that day. He and Blake were huddled together over a table big enough for more, but she didn't imagine they were having any trouble keeping it. Even dressed in more respectable clothes and without a weapon in sight, the two of them made a dangerous looking combination.

Cam slid into the booth next to Blake without waiting for either of them to acknowledge him. Ashley followed his example, taking the spot next to Gabe. "Hey," he greeted her, and she saw Blake nod across the table.

"Nice place," she said noncommittally.

"One of the safest public places there is," Blake answered, keeping his voice low but offering her a smile. "Sorry we didn't get a chance to be properly introduced before. I'm Blake Bradley." He held his hand out over the table, and she took it with something like relief. It wasn't the Dark Fortress all over again; these were real people, here. Her people.

"Ashley Hammond," she replied, smiling back at him. "It's been a while since I was here. I wish it hadn't changed so much."

"I hear that," Blake agreed. "No worries, though. You wouldn't be here if you thought it was hopeless; am I right?"

He had an unforced charm that put her as much at ease as she could be in a foreign environment surrounded by near-strangers. "You're right," she confirmed, keeping an eye on the rest of the table for signs of doubt.

"This is Cam," Gabe put in, nudging her shoulder and pointing at the guy across from her. "He's only quiet because he doesn't have Hunter here to egg him on."

Cam gave Carlos' brother a dirty look for that, but he extended his hand to her as Blake had done an introduced himself. "Cameron Watanabe," he elaborated. "Contrary to what they would have you believe, I do care about things other than Hunter Bradley."

"Sure you do." Hunter's voice penetrated the surrounding noise, and he seemed to appear out of thin air beside their table. "Just not as much. Beer?"

Ashley's eyes widened as she took in Hunter's appearance. He had made good on his threat to find clothes that concealed no more than his shredded outfit had, albeit without the holes, and she might easily have taken him for part of the entertainment if she didn't know better. Cam took the bottle Hunter offered without batting an eye, sliding over to make room as the blonde squeezed into the booth beside him.

"Nice to meet you," Ashley told Cam, her gaze darting back to Hunter as he deposited the rest of the bottles in the middle of the table and started pushing them around. One for each of them, plus an extra that she could only assume was for the as yet unseen Leanne. "Underage drinking is a thing of the past, huh?"

"Yeah," Hunter replied, "in the sense that no one is underage anymore. You're old enough to work, you're old enough to drink. I'm Hunter Bradley, by the way. If you didn't get that from Cam's introduction."

This time, the last name clicked, and she shot Blake a sideways look.

"Yeah, we're brothers," Blake said, wrapping his fingers around the bottle in front of him but making no move to drink. More for appearances than for consumption, she wondered?

"Lots of us have relatives in the resistance," Gabe put in. "Being a ninja tends to run in the family."

"Speaking of," Hunter added, tipping the top of his bottle slightly to point. He wasn't drinking either, Ashley noticed.

A woman with shockingly red hair and clothes as dangerous as Hunter's appeared out of the crowd, though Ashley wasn't sure she was aiming for them until the moment she slid into the booth with them. Tilting her head so that her hair curtained her face to the outside world, the woman smiled around the table at each of them, her eyes resting on Ashley a fraction longer than the rest of them. Ashley couldn't imagine that a woman like this could ever avoid drawing attention to herself.

"Good evening," the woman said calmly, reaching for a beer before tossing her hair back over her shoulder and scanning the club as thoroughly as she had assessed them. "Have you ordered yet?"

"We were waiting for you," Blake informed her. "And it's good to see you too, sis."

She heard the emphasis just as Ashley did, turning back to give him an odd look before shifting her gaze to Ashley. "They've been telling you stories, haven't they," she said, another smile softening her stare. A slight accent made her words sound all the more polished. "Never judge a person by the words of their younger brothers."

"They haven't told me a thing," Ashley promised, amused by the suspicious look the other woman gave first to Blake and then to Hunter. "Just that you were coming--you're Leanne, right? I'm Ashley."

"Leanne Omino," the woman confirmed, taking the hand Ashley offered in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Ashley. I won't lie and say it's not reassuring to have someone from the old guard back in town."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved to find a new guard," Ashley answered, trusting her to understand. "I hope we'll be able to work together."

Leanne just nodded in reply. Everything they didn't know about each other was in her wariness. And every hope they had was in her smile--still ready, even for a stranger, after all this time.

8. Quarantine

"We have a problem." Kristet dropped a reader onto the kitchen counter and pulled up a stool on the other side. Zhane lifted his head just long enough to assess her expression before turning his attention back to the boy banging on the countertop beside him.

"Kae, don't take any lessons from this woman about how to greet a person first thing in the morning," Zhane told him. His tone was light, and he saw the amusedly exasperated look she gave him out of the corner of his eye. "We have enough people who don't know how to say 'good morning' around here," he added with mock-regret.

Kae was swinging his arms unconcernedly and Zhane rescued a plastic juice cup before it could tumble to the floor along with the various other utensils Kae had already put there. Nothing particularly dangerous about the occasional misplaced spoon, but he didn't feel like cleaning up spilled juice right now. Especially when the kid needed all the vitamins he could get.

"Zhane!" Andros' voice came from the exercise mats, and he sounded winded enough to make Zhane smirk. The rest of them knew better than to challenge Astrea for the sheer joy of it. Andros couldn't seem to resist. "I could use a little help here!"

"See what I mean?" Zhane asked Kae rhetorically. "There's no courtesy around here. A little politeness would go a long way."

He glanced over at the mats again, just in time to watch Andros go down hard in the face of Astrea's relentless attack. Astrea wasn't big on sparring, but she knew how to fight and she wasn't above practicing some of her more lethal skills on her teammates. She usually had the grace to wait until they were morphed, of course. But Zhane knew as well as anyone that Andros could provoke a person beyond all reason.

"I have that on camera," Kristet called in the general direction of the workout area.

"Yeah?" Andros rolled to his feet, holding his hands out in a gesture clearly meant to indicate his surrender. Astrea's staff vanished into violet sparkles as she folded her arms. It was hard to tell whether she was appeased or not, and Andros was equally inscrutable right now. Zhane deliberately ignored him as he left the mats and headed in the direction of the kitchen, hoping that fewer eyes might keep him from responding too sharply to Kristet.

Andros leaned on the counter beside their public relations agent. He leaned over to grab some of the fruit Zhane had been cutting up for Kae and remarked, "Well, I have you on payroll." He grinned at Kristet and popped the fruit into his mouth before he straightened up. "Thanks for the help, Zhane," he added, apparently as an afterthought.

"You know how much I like throwing myself into fights I didn't start," Zhane drawled, surprised and more than a little amused by Andros' relaxed swagger. He was in a good mood this morning.

"Speaking of which," Kristet said firmly. "I mentioned that there's a problem. Abersiia."

The word meant nothing to Zhane, but he saw Andros frown. "Where?"

"Keyota." Kristet gave the Red Ranger a meaningful glance that puzzled Zhane. "Outbreaks are centered in the southeastern part of the district. There have been cases reported in Chessa Brook, too. And among the military personnel on RS-42."

All places the Rangers went regularly, Zhane noted. But outbreaks? Outbreaks of what? He looked over at Astrea as she joined them, tugging her hair out of its ponytail as she commandeered the last stool on the outside of the counter. "What's going on?" she wanted to know.

"What's abersiia?" Zhane asked, looking from her to Andros and back again with a small shrug to indicate that he had no more idea than she did.

Astrea lifted one shoulder in return, starting to shake her head--and then she stopped. With a sharp look in Andros' direction, she interrupted him just as he started to answer. "The virus Kae came here with?"

Zhane frowned, looking to Andros for confirmation. Kae had been infected with something, Astrea had told him that when she first introduced them to each other. But DECA had treated him immediately and as far as Zhane knew he had been cured within hours. He had never even learned the name of whatever contagion the boy carried.

"Yeah." With one word, Andros' expression went from pensive to grim. "We did this."

"Now, wait a minute." Zhane moved Kae's juice out of the way of the plate he'd finally finished, pushing it within easy reach of the boy's impatient fingers. He didn't eat nearly enough, but what he did eat he ate fast and messily. "That's ridiculous. Kae hasn't left the hangar, and DECA vaccinated each of us as we came back."

"It's true," Kristet agreed. "I don't know how it's possible. No one here is sick--even I got the vaccine, and Kae hadn't been contagious for hours by the time I got here. But the timing seems too suspicious to be coincidence."

"The last time I remember hearing anything about abersiia, I was in school." Ty had raised his voice enough that it carried easily from the table where he had been keeping one eye on the morning news and apparently one ear on their conversation. "Primary school."

Kristet was nodding. "I did some research. There hasn't been an outbreak since before the invasion. They vaccinated most of the school-age children back then, but the virus is so easy to eliminate that the effort was a one-time deal."

"If it's so easy to treat, what's the problem?" Zhane wanted to know. "Send everyone to the nearest health center and cure them. Problem solved."

"Two problems," Kristet countered. "One, some people wouldn't admit they're sick if their lives depended on it--and they might. The early symptoms are pretty innocuous. They won't send anyone but the hypochondriacs scrambling for a cure, and by the time people realize they need help they may not be able to get it on their own."

"That's why it was so perfect," Astrea said softly. She might have been talking to herself, but she looked up at the silence that followed her words. "The slave traders," she clarified. "We thought maybe they were using Kae's blood to make a vaccine they could sell to infected areas."

Zhane got it before she could finish. "The symptoms are so vague that they could be anything," he guessed.

Astrea nodded, but her gaze flicked to Kristet as though seeking confirmation. "Tell someone their neighbor is sick and they don't need much proof before they're willing to pay for a vaccine," she said.

"What's the second problem?" Andros asked, his eyes on Kristet as well. "You said there were two."

Kristet gave him an apologetic look. "It didn't take me long to notice where the outbreaks are occurring," she pointed out. "The public's going to connect it to the Rangers soon, if they're not doing it already."

"But it wasn't us," Zhane protested. Kae was squirming, obviously bored with being on the counter. Since he'd finished off most of what was on his plate, Zhane gave his fingers a token swipe with the dish towel before swinging him down to the floor. "Stay out of trouble," he told the boy.

"I'm not convinced," Kristet was saying. "Kae brings a virus that hasn't shown up on KO-35 in almost a decade and suddenly we have the beginnings of an epidemic? It just doesn't make sense that the two events are unrelated."

"Sometimes the universe doesn't make sense," Zhane replied. "That's just the way it goes."

Andros shook his head. "We must have missed something," he muttered. He was clearly in agreement with Kristet. "Kae hasn't left. We're all protected. We haven't had anyone else in the hangar recently..."

Footsteps on the stairs interrupted his musings, and Zhane looked away from Kae to see Ashley descending from the catwalk. She didn't get to sleep in very often, and even if it wasn't that late he thought she had probably enjoyed the extra minutes. She certainly seemed to be in good spirits, laughing as she chatted back and forth with--

Karen.

Zhane caught Andros' eye and saw the same realization there. Karen was the only person who had come and gone from the hangar since Kae had arrived, and she had done it with the same freedom they enjoyed. She had been everywhere they had been. And she had never gotten the vaccine.

"Karen," Astrea said aloud, echoing his own thoughts. "But she's not sick."

"She was born six galaxies away," Ty reminded them. He made no move to get up from the table, but he too was watching as Ashley and Karen came down the stairs. "Of course she's not sick. The virus probably doesn't recognize her DNA."

"She's as human as we are," Andros argued. "Her DNA's the same as yours and mine."

"Andros, even you and Astrea don't have the same DNA." Ty sounded surprised that Andros would pretend not to know it. And Zhane had no doubt that that was what Ty thought Andros was doing: pretending. The former agrec geneticist just assumed that everyone around him was as smart as he was.

"Someone who can trace their ancestry to the other side of the local group isn't going to react to disease in anything like the same way you do," Ty continued. "I'm surprised she's even a carrier... but it sounds like she must be."

"But Kae had been here for days when she arrived." Zhane voiced what seemed like the most logical objection. "How could he have infected her then?"

"Blankets," Astrea said suddenly. "The first night Karen was here we took blankets outside to look at the stars. Blankets from the downstairs closet."

"That was fun!" Karen's voice was cheerful, but there was no mistaking her curiosity as she and Ashley came close enough to hear and join them in the kitchen. "Morning, everyone," she added, and Zhane lifted both hands in appreciation.

"Thank you," he said emphatically, only too happy to interject some levity into the solemn atmosphere that had settled around them. "Now here is a woman who knows how to say good morning."

"Taught by the best!" Karen winked at him before glancing around at the others. "So what's going on?"

"Hey, Kristet," Ashley added. "You're here early. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Kae's virus has gotten into the city," Andros informed them. He did know how to break news gently; Zhane had seen him do it. But it wasn't a skill that he bothered to practice much.

"What?" Ashley didn't need to have it spelled out. "But how? He hasn't even been to the city!"

"No," Andros agreed grimly. "And we were all vaccinated." He was staring down at the counter as though it was somehow to blame. "All of us except for Karen."

"Who was wrapped in blankets from the closet where Kae slept the first night she got here," Astrea finished. "Can the virus live that long without a human host, Ty?"

"What do I know?" Ty said with a shrug. "Haven't thought of abersiia in years, let alone studied it. Some viruses can, sure, but I don't know about this one specifically."

"Wait, what?" Karen was looking at them with obvious confusion. "What am I spreading around? And since when?"

Andros apparently didn't consider it his duty to enlighten guests. He was already reaching for his digimorpher, snapping it into his hand like it had appeared out of the air. "DECA," he said, lifting his gaze from the counter to return Zhane's stare. "We're going to need some help."

Zhane had wanted to tell the truth. In fact, if Ty didn't know better, he would have said that Zhane would be uncomfortable with lying. He did know better, but he also knew Zhane, and until this very moment he would have said that he could tell. Of course he could tell. He knew when Zhane was lying and when he wasn't.

He was starting to think that maybe he only knew when Zhane wanted him to know.

Kristet had vetoed the idea of telling the truth immediately, involving as it did several major lapses of responsibility on the Rangers' part. The first was Kae: no matter what they did or didn't know about him, his presence should have been reported as soon as he arrived. It had seemed an acceptable cover up at the time, temporary and harmless, but in retrospect it was unquestionably illegal.

The second lapse was Karen. Ranger or not, she had no interstellar ID and as such had never been checked medically against any of the environments she had visited. It was only luck and her enhanced Ranger immune system that had kept her from catching or carrying something infectious before now.

So telling the truth was out, according to Kristet. Something about shining the light of public attention in the wrong place. And Andros backed her up. This was what they had hired her for, he said, and if she told them to lie then that's what they were going to do.

He hadn't expected Andros to agree to this deception either. But the moment Ty realized that Andros would lie was the moment he should have stopped being surprised that Zhane was so good at it. The two of them were like the decision and the execution, one right behind the other, always.

"Look, Marsie, I'm sorry," Zhane was saying, and only he and Ashley would dare to call the commander of the KPD by her given name at a time like this. Actually, Andros would probably dare, it just wouldn't occur to him. He would call her by her title because this was a professional discussion, not a personal one.

"If I knew more, I'd tell you." Zhane's tone was the perfect combination of sympathy and regret. "Obviously I picked up the virus somewhere in the system, since my scan was clean when I came back from Eltare. There's no reason to think I got it here. But you've all been exposed by now, and we're going to have to quarantine the base until everyone's been treated."

"Quarantine is an inconvenience," Commander Marsie informed him. "We're already locked down and we should be able to complete treatment in a matter of hours. We'll be behind schedule and we'll have to send the incoming Defense patrol home without a layover, but otherwise I'm not concerned about the implications.

"What I am concerned about is my pilots," she continued darkly. "The fact that it was you first and not your teammates, the fact that you've been here almost every day for the past two weeks, both point to a contagion that originated with the Planetary Defense."

"If anyone's sick, they're getting treated now," Zhane assured her.

She gave him a smile that Ty couldn't interpret. "If anyone's sick," she said, very clearly, "every outsystem hour they've logged is going to be checked against their med scans. Pilots get lazy sometimes. Nothing is going to be traced back to us unless it can be traced all the way."

"Marsie," Zhane said, and his tone was nothing but sincere, "We'll back the KPD whether someone was careless or not. And if no one was, I'll clear you to the cameras myself."

She gave a sharp nod, then turned away without the formality of dismissal.

"Let's go," Zhane told Ty.

Ty raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask until they were out in the hallway. Even then, he was careful to keep his voice low as he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Conference room," Zhane said shortly.

That told Ty precisely nothing. He followed anyway, assuming Zhane would explain his goal at some point. There wasn't a lot they could do here with the entire base under lockdown. Anybody who had been cleared already was too busy clearing other people to get much done. Ty thought Marsie had been understating the situation slightly to call it an "inconvenience."

"Okay," Zhane said, heading straight for the system interface as they took over an empty conference room. "We need to beat that check."

Ty watched Zhane log in to the system and flip open his digimorpher simultaneously. "Excuse me?"

"DECA," Zhane said. He glanced over his shoulder at Ty, indicating that he had heard the question and expected this to be all the explanation Ty needed. "Would you sort through the KPD files and check for discrepancies between med scans and outsystem hours logged?"

"Please specify a timeframe," DECA's calm voice replied.

"From a year ago until today," Zhane said, after a brief hesitation. "Start with the most recent and work your way back, and show me any problems as you go."

"Certainly," DECA agreed. The terminal in front of Zhane shifted as the AI coasted into the system on Zhane's password. Not that she needed it, Ty was sure. But it must be quicker this way. Within seconds, the screens of data were flashing by too fast for him to follow.

"You want to know before Marsie does," Ty surmised. "Why? It's not like we're going to find the virus anywhere."

"Exactly." Zhane was frowning at the terminal as though he could actually read something intelligible in the flickering text. "I don't want anyone else getting in trouble for something we caused."

"But they'll come up clean," Ty pointed out. "Even if their records are out of date, or missed something, the odds that they'll actually test positive..." He trailed off as he tried to estimate some odds. The attempt only made him realize that actually, the odds could be against them. Karen had been introduced to a lot of people, and that had been days ago. The virus had had plenty of time to circulate.

"Doesn't matter," Zhane muttered, still watching the screen. "They wouldn't be under this kind of scrutiny if it wasn't for us, and if we're going to cover up our own mistakes then the least we can do is cover theirs too."

Something on the screen flashed, and a window appeared over top of the high-speed search taking place in the background. Zhane grimaced, but he didn't seem particularly surprised. His expression focused on the screen and then went curiously blank. Ty knew what he was doing.

After a moment, Zhane gave a miniscule nod. When DECA announced the results of her search, he logged into the Kerovan Security Network with two different passwords and set about changing the records she had flagged. Ty just watched, saying nothing.

It didn't take very long. Zhane was good at this kind of thing, and on some level Ty found that disturbing. Andros and Zhane... the decision and the execution. How many times had Andros asked his best friend to do something dishonest?

Was the computer hack really dishonest, Ty wondered? Zhane was only trying to help. He was breaking into the system to protect the very people his lie had compromised. Maybe, Ty mused, two wrongs did make a right. Or maybe they just made it more wrong. He wasn't an ethicist. Wasn't the point of laws to keep people from having to figure it out themselves?

"We're all done here," Zhane said quietly. The screen had reverted to its normal display, and Zhane's digimorpher was nowhere to be seen. "The PD's going to be busy here for another few hours. Want to do some another survey?"

Ty had to grin at the thought. "Try and stop me," he agreed. Taking their Gliders out over the mostly unclaimed land of RS-42, ostensibly to "survey" the area for hidden dangers, was his favorite part of work on KO-35's sister planet.

"Race you," Zhane offered, his eyes bright with a devilish glint.

As quickly as that, he was just Zhane again. Happy, sincere, mischievous; he laughed aloud when they played at shoving each other out of the way to reach the door. Whatever talents Zhane had, they didn't make him good or bad, honest or dishonest. Only the way he used them that could do that--and when had Zhane ever done anything but help the people around him?

Nothing about today had gone the way she expected it to. Ashley had woken up to the promise of a day off, a day she had planned to spend sleeping late, eating a very relaxed breakfast, and then maybe showing Karen around the Center some more, or going alone if she didn't feel like it. She had thought that the morning, at least, would be hers to do whatever she wanted with, even if some crisis came up by lunchtime that turned out to be her responsibility.

The crisis, unfortunately, was here ahead of schedule. It had interrupted her breakfast, and now it found her at Telekinetic Travels with a decidedly different goal than the one she had hoped to have. She hadn't even gotten to sleep late--Karen had knocked on her door with questions before the hangar had even cleared out.

Not that it would have cleared out, she knew now. Karen or not, someone would have gotten her up over the virus situation. Now Karen was grounded for the morning and she was at the Center with Kerone instead, spreading the word about treatment and vaccination.

Or she had been, up until a few seconds ago.

She wasn't sure who was more surprised to see Astronema: her, or the kids. And if she threw Astronema herself into the equation they would all lose, because Astronema looked terrified. Shocked, and wary, and angry of course, always angry, but it was all just a cover for the terror that Ashley recognized instantly.

It was a terror that could get them all killed, if she didn't fix this. Fast.

"Kerone!" she exclaimed, forcing her voice to a warmth she didn't feel. She swung around in front of Astronema and held her arms out to the sides as if for a hug. Astronema looked at her like she was the lowest form of life there was, but the position put her between that staff and the kids. "You did it! That's perfect!"

"Did what?" a voice piped up from behind Ashley. "What did she do, Ranger Ashley?"

The older kids were hanging back, but little Teisha was pressed up against her side and regarding Astronema with wide eyes. Ashley put one of her arms around Teisha's shoulders, patting her reassuringly without taking her eyes off of Astronema. Not a threat, she thought desperately, willing Astronema to understand. We're not a threat to you.

"She made a Halloween costume," Ashley said, with as much cheer and conviction as she could manage. "Doesn't it look like Astronema?"

Looking back on it, she wouldn't be able to say how she had known it was Astronema to begin with, let alone come up with such a ridiculously distracting explanation. It should have been Kerone, after all. There was no reason to think it was Astronema instead of Kerone-pretending-to-be-Astronema, but she did--and all the kids seemed to agree with her.

"What's a halieen costume?" Teisha wanted to know. She was staring up at Ashley now, craning her neck to see her face, and Ashley didn't know if that was because she trusted that everything was all right or if it was just because she was too nervous to look at Astronema anymore.

Either way, Kerone was going to have some explaining to do later.

"Well, Halloween is a special holiday on Earth..." She dared to look away from Astronema for just a moment, smiling down at Teisha. "It's the night when all the ghosts come out, all the spirits and magic and things that we don't usually see."

"Kerone is magic," one of the other kids offered hesitantly.

"That's right," Ashley agreed, her eyes back on Astronema. The princess of evil--from another dimension, unless she was totally wrong--was looking from one kid to the next as though she was trying to anticipate where the attack would come from. But...

She wasn't saying anything. And she hadn't lifted her staff since that abortive attempt when Kerone was first replaced by her alter ego. That had to be a good thing.

"That's why I thought she should try to dress up," Ashley continued, still talking to Astronema. "Cause Kerone is magic, so she'd fit right in on Halloween."

"Why does she have to dress up?" Teisha wanted to know. "She's magic just like she is."

Astronema was staring at Ashley now. She still looked tense and ready to bolt at a moment's notice, but she had stopped preparing for it. That much was obvious: she was waiting now, not getting ready. Maybe, just maybe, she would let Ashley cover and get her out of her without putting the fear of Kerone into the Center for years to come.

"Everyone dresses up on Halloween," Ashley told the kids without turning around. "You have to wear a costume to celebrate."

"But why?" Teisha asked, before she had even finished.

That was a good question. She had no idea. "Because... well, with all those spirits and ghosts and things running around, it's hard to tell which ones are good and which ones are bad, right? And you only have one night to figure it out. So people put on costumes so that the bad spirits won't know who they are."

"Ohhhh." The girl next to her made a long sound of comprehension, like that made more sense than anything else Ashley had said. "I want a costume too," she decided.

"Me too," said one of the other kids. "Can I have a costume?"

"You sure can," Ashley agreed, lifting her arm off of Teisha's shoulders and holding both hands out to her sides. "I'm just going to call one of the other teachers to help us with the costumes, okay? Just one person, to come over here and help you guys." She hoped Astronema understood that she was talking to her.

Astronema nodded, just once and very slightly. But she still tensed when Ashley moved, heading for the nearest wall comm, and Ashley slowed her pace immediately. "Teacher con," she told the unit. It lit up in acknowledgement, and a moment later she was looking at one of the on-duty staff.

"Hi Mehron," she said with what she hoped was a suitably embarrassed smile. "I'm awfully sorry, but we just got called in the middle of our walk. Would you mind sending someone out to take over for us?"

"Sure, Ashley." The teacher coordinator didn't look surprised. "There's a play group in Red Room, if you want to drop your kids there while I get someone out to them."

"That'd be great," she said, relieved. "They'll be there, all right? Thanks, Mehron."

"My pleasure," the coordinator answered.

The kids were understandably disappointed as she shuffled them across the courtyard to Red Room. "But why do you have to leave?" one of the boys complained, echoed immediately by another kid. "You just got here!"

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ashley soothed, looking over her shoulder at Astronema. She did feel guilty about that, but she was a lot more worried about what Astronema might do than she was about the kids right now. "I'll be back next week, okay? We'll go for a real field trip, then."

"Ooh, a Field. Trip!" Teisha chortled. No one here used the phrase "field trip" except for Ashley, but most of the kids knew what it meant by now. "Where are we going, where are we going?"

"It's a secret," Ashley told her, reaching for the chime outside of Red Room in case there was a game going on inside. "You all just make sure you come next week, and you'll see where we're going."

"Okay!" Teisha bounded into Red Room as soon as the door opened. Some of the older kids still looked disappointed, but the younger ones were easily placated by the promise.

"Teacher?" Ashley called, leaning into the room.

"Over here!" The voice came from the near side of the room, partially hidden by kids who were mostly older than hers. That was good, then, hers wouldn't feel like they were being shoved in with the children, she thought with a smile.

"It's Ranger Ashley," she called back. "I have to leave. Would you mind keeping an eye on my friends here until Mehron sends someone for them?"

Green-streaked blue hair burst out over top of the puppy pile on the near side of the room, and Carleis was instantly recognizable. "You got it, Ash!" he declared exuberantly. "We need some little ones to practice levitating on!"

"You keep their feet on the ground!" she shouted back, for a moment forgetting why she was there. "I want them all back in one piece next week!"

He unfolded himself from the ground, easily extricable now that most of his kids had pulled themselves free to see who the newcomers were. "You're no fun," Carleis told her, offering a hand to one of his kids.

"I hear that all the time," she retorted, already withdrawing from the door. "Feet on the floor, Carleis! See you next week," she added, smiling at her kids as they milled past her into the room. She winced as one of them brushed Astronema's hand, still confident in the belief that she was Kerone, who adored children.

Astronema looked like she had been poked with a sharp pair of scissors, but she didn't say anything.

Still, Ashley didn't chance walking back through the Center with her. "I'm going to ask DECA to teleport us," she said quietly. "Is that okay with you?"

Astronema just narrowed her eyes, assessing her without a word.

Ashley took that for assent. She flipped her digimorpher open and called the teammate who could respond the fastest. "DECA," she told her morpher. "We need an emergency teleport. Bring us back to the hangar."

DECA didn't bother to confirm, as was standard in emergencies. The air just shimmered into color around her, and the next thing she knew, she was standing outside the hangar with Astronema at her side. The doors were rolling open to discharge the zords before she could explain what was happening.

"No, don't shoot!" She knocked Astronema's staff aside without thinking. Electricity wouldn't hurt the zords, but it could sure hurt her and she should have been more careful about startling someone with reflexes like that.

"It's okay," she gasped, holding her hands up in surrender. She knew the zords would be able to hear her, no matter how quietly she spoke. "She's a friend! It's Kerone!"

A roar crashed to the ground around her ears, and she winced at Magic's rumble of disagreement. "It's not our Kerone," she shouted. It was a futile effort to be heard over the sound of the violet zord's displeasure. Why hadn't she thought of the zords? "It's JT's Kerone! She's from another dimension!"

She hadn't had time to think about it, but her subconscious must have been processing things as they happened. This didn't have to be JT's Astronema, after all. It could be anyone's Astronema. It could be their own, it could be a clone, it could be an imposter... it could be Kerone, having some sort of bizarre magic attack. There was any number of explanations, none of which she'd had time to sort through.

But her intuition told her this was Kae's rescuer. This was the woman who had come to them, to form a clandestine alliance with the Free Systems, to hand over a slave simply because she hadn't been able to let him die. This was the woman who had been about to threaten a group of children, and had stopped because Ashley got in the way. This was an Astronema who knew her.

"Let me up," she told Astronema, loud enough to be heard over Magic at this close range. "They're not going to hurt you, but they won't let you hurt me either."

Astronema looked tempted to try, but she withdrew her staff a few seconds later. She kept it at the ready. "Where am I?" she spat.

The first words she had spoken since she got here, and they made Ashley narrow her eyes in consideration. Surely she recognized the hangar. If she was who Ashley thought she was, then she had been here before. "You're at the Ranger base on KO-35," she said warily.

Another loud howl from behind them made her grit her teeth in frustration. "Magic, cut it out! We're trying to have a conversation here!"

The ground didn't even rumble as the zord ghosted up behind them, but she could see Astronema stiffen at its looming presence. A moment later, a head bigger than either of them was tall slid down across the ground to inspect the situation. Like Magic couldn't see at all if she didn't have her face in the middle of things, Ashley thought with a sigh. It was just posturing, a reminder that she was there: she must have learned that from her Ranger.

"Where's Kerone?" she asked Astronema, knowing that was the information Magic wanted most. "What happened to her? What are you doing here?"

Astronema's gaze darted from her to Magic, but she looked more haughty than intimidated. "I don't have the faintest idea what I'm doing here." She bit off each word like there was blame to be assigned and it lay with anyone but her.

"Unless this is another one of Dark Spectre's tricks," Astronema added with venom, and the sharp edge to her glare actually made Ashley flinch. "A worthless loyalty test that I do not have time for! When do you expect me to run your army if you keep snatching me out of whatever I'm doing to probe my head!"

Magic growled, a low rumbling sound that was deafening so close to her sound box. Her upper lip curled, and suddenly they were standing face to tooth with some very sharp incisors.

"She's not lying," Ashley told the zord with a sigh. "Dark Spectre used to do it to Kerone, too."

The growl resurfaced, more of a mutter this time, quieter but no less bitter.

"I don't know where Kerone is." Ashley studied Astronema, knowing they wouldn't get anything from her as long as she thought she was talking to Dark Spectre or his minions. On the other hand, the fact that she thought she might be meant that she didn't have any better idea what she was doing here than they did. And that wasn't going to help them find Kerone.

Ashley shook her head once before lifting her digimorpher again. "We'd better get the others."

"What do you think?" Andros asked, keeping his voice low as they rounded yet another corner in the old government building.

"I think that someday one of Kinwon's less flattering soundbites is going to show up on the afternoon news," Kristet murmured. "And I'd just like to deny all responsibility for or knowledge of such an event in advance."

Andros' mouth quirked upward at the corner. "Got it. You know and see nothing. Which a lot of people will believe, considering you have... what, four cameras running right now?"

"Three," Kristet corrected idly. "I could turn the other two on, though, if it would make you feel more comfortable."

Andros snorted, but otherwise he didn't bother to answer. He didn't trust Kristet to obey the rules, but he did trust her intent. She didn't always do what she was told. She did do what she thought was best--and she only did her own thing when she had reason to think that her idea of "best" was clearer than that of anyone else around her.

He heard comm beep, and saw her gave it a dismissive glance out of the corner of his eye. When she stopped, though, he paused too and gave her a questioning look. "Problem?"

"Maybe." She waved him on, already focused solely on her comm. "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a moment."

He nodded, heading on down the hall. They were done with the Council, somewhat to his surprise. Things really did go faster with Kristet and her cameras there. He still needed to check in with DECA, though, and that would be easier to do if he wasn't talking over whatever their media liaison was trying to listen to.

Andros stepped out of the building and kept on walking, knowing that everything in the immediate vicinity of the structure would be monitored. He stopped halfway between the building itself and the gate that surrounded it. That was about as secure as any place around here got, and he wasn't going to say anything that required absolute privacy anyway.

His digimorpher chimed before he could flip it open. He acknowledged the signal--Ashley--and smiled to himself. He and Ashley used to joke that the rest of the team had preternatural timing... and it was true. It was as true of the two of them as it was of any of the rest. They knew when to call each other with an accuracy that had nothing to do with telepathy.

"We need you back at the hangar," Ashley's voice told him. "Are you busy?"

"No," he said, frowning. "We're mostly done here. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He didn't miss her subtle emphasis on the first word. "Come as soon as you can get away."

That didn't sound good. But it wasn't an all-out emergency call, either, so he tried not to worry. "What about the others?"

"Zhane and Ty, if they're free. Otherwise don't worry about it."

"I'll be there soon," he promised. She was calling in all the Rangers, but she hadn't had DECA alert them? What could possibly be going on?

Unfortunately, he could come up with a lot of answers to that question. And most of them were very, very bad.

He turned at the sound of someone coming out of the building behind him. Kristet didn't look any happier than he felt, and his frown deepened. "Problem?" he repeated as she joined him.

"Abersiia," she said succinctly. "It's showed up in Sai Kung, and it has new symptoms."

"Sai Kung?" He didn't even have to think about it. "None of us have been there recently." Karen hadn't been there at all, but there was no reason to say so where anyone could overhear. Zhane was their cover story, and Zhane it would stay.

"No," Kristet agreed. "Which means that either the virus is circulating that quickly, without any of the transit authorities noticing it, or that we aren't the original carriers of the Sai Kung strain."

That didn't make any sense, and they shared a long look that didn't tell Andros anything. Kae was patient zero. He had to be. It was beyond coincidence that the virus could have shown up in two different places at the same time after more than a decade of dormancy.

"What new symptoms?" he asked abruptly.

Kristet tilted her head the slightest bit, managing to express her bafflement without a word. "People are... seeing things," she said at last. "Hallucinations, maybe. Maybe something else, it's hard to say. But three different people, all of them infected with the abersiia virus, have reported seeing things that they say can't have been real."

Hallucinations weren't the most common pseudo symptom, nor were they something that people tended to imagine. And Kristet was right--they had all been briefed on causes, symptoms, and treatment of abersiia. Hallucinations didn't come into it.

Andros lifted his digimorpher again. "Ashley."

"Go ahead," her voice replied a moment later.

"How many people are with you at the hangar?" he wanted to know.

There was a pause. "Three," she answered. "Karen, Kae, and... Kerone."

"Have DECA scan you," he told her. "I want a full medical check any time someone comes or goes from the hangar. I'm going to have DECA check me and Kristet, and tell Zhane and Ty that they have to do the same if they try to come back before we get there."

"Okay--" He could almost hear her frown. "What are we looking for?"

"Abersiia. The virus may have changed since it got here and that vaccine won't mean anything if it's mutating already.

"DECA," Andros added, knowing she monitored every morpher. "Kristet and I are together. Scan us both and if we're clean, teleport us back to the hangar."

"Acknowledged," DECA's voice answered calmly. "Scanning now."

He exchanged glances with Kristet, and there was a tense moment of waiting. Then DECA's voice informed them, "I am not detecting any sign of the abersiia virus. Teleporting."

The hangar doors were open when they materialized outside of it, but that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that Kerone had chosen to look like Astronema today, and that the rest of the Rangers seemed to be holding an outdoor conference of some kind. Andros glanced around for Zhane automatically, but he came up empty.

He didn't bother to keep his digimorpher open. *Zhane,* he called silently.

*Yeah,* the familiar voice came back.

*Ash wants us all back at the hangar,* Andros told him. *As soon as you can. Have DECA do a medical scan first.*

Zhane didn't ask questions. *You got it,* he said easily.

"This is Kristet," Ashley was saying. "She's a friend of ours. And Andros, the Red Ranger... I think you know him?"

The way she asked the question set off warning bells in Andros' mind. He opened his mouth, looking from her to Kerone--and he stiffened. This wasn't Kerone. Not at all. He knew his sister; he knew her as Kerone and as Astronema, and this wasn't any Astronema he'd ever known. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Who are you?" the fake Astronema retorted. "You don't look like any Red Ranger I've ever seen."

"Ashley?" he said dangerously. "What's going on?"

Ashley only sighed, and that didn't make him feel any better. "I wish I knew," she told him. "Kerone and I were at the Center when suddenly she was gone and Astronema was here. She has to be from JT's dimension, but she says she doesn't have any more idea how she got here than we do."

"JT," Andros muttered. "How did you ever survive having him on your team for an entire year?"

"I don't think it was his fault," Ashley said, not as though she was convinced. "All his interdimensional experiments were with morphers, Power sources... Rangers, not--" She gestured in a sort of all-encompassing way.

"Kerone's a Ranger." Andros was thinking out loud, not actually objecting, and Ashley seemed to know it.

She replied as though they were following the same train of thought. "And Astronema's not. But she's jumped between dimensions before. She brought us Kae."

"They tell me you're my brother," Astronema challenged. She was looking him over, somewhat scathingly, he thought.

Andros felt his lips quirk, and he gave her an equally contemptuous look in return. He knew this game. He'd played it with his own Astronema time and again. "Can't choose your relatives," he taunted, and her eyes widened a little.

"Andros--" Ashley looked worried. "Kerone's gone. At best she's lost. At worst..."

She didn't have to spell it out for him. "She and Astronema have switched places," Andros said grimly. "I know."

The incoming whine of supernaturally fast machinery heralded the arrival of the Black and Silver Galaxy Gliders. Astronema looked defensive, Kristet surprised, and Ashley relieved. Andros just threw them a wave as he lifted his digimorpher again--they would have to get DECA some outdoor projection equipment.

"DECA," he told his communicator. "I need you to scan for Kerone's magic, anywhere on KO-35 or RS-42, and then anywhere in the system after that. If she's here somewhere, I want to find her. I also want you to contact Justin for me, see if he can get JT to confirm that he doesn't have anything to do with this. Then we're going to have to start looking for dimensional distortion: at the Center, on the planet, out in space. Got it?"

"I have already initiated scans," DECA responded smoothly. "I will communicate with Eltare momentarily, and switch magical scans to dimensional ones if I am unable to locate Kerone."

"Good." He lowered his morpher in time to meet Zhane's questioning gaze as the Silver Ranger demorphed. "We have a problem."

Zhane and Ty arrived in typically dramatic fashion, and Karen didn't have too much trouble coaxing Kae away from his hiding place to join them. She had been left in charge of Kerone's kid that morning, and when the zords bounded out of the hangar to greet Ashley she had hauled him along out of curiosity. Now he was getting twitchy with the open space and she was stuck following him as he wandered farther and farther away.

Just as she'd suspected, Karen thought with a sigh. Free baby-sitting.

Although to be fair, he was Kerone's responsibility. Usually. It was just that today, with her being stuck at the hangar anyway...

Yeah, Karen scoffed. That was how it started. She hated baby-sitting. She really didn't like kids, and she had thought she was beyond the stage of her life where she had to pretend that she did. Apparently not. Especially if Kerone was going to disappear without warning and send her evil duplicate back in her place.

"When did that become a greeting?" Zhane was complaining, if somewhat warily, when she came within hearing range of the other Rangers. "'We have a problem.' It's not 'hello, how are you,' that's all I'm saying."

He was eyeing Astronema while he said it, though. If Karen had to guess? She'd say Zhane already had a pretty good idea of what the problem was.

That was when Astronema startled them all. The name was quieter than any normal conversational tone, but perfectly audible in the lull between comments. "Zhane?"

Zhane gave her a sharp look. "Astronema?" he returned, with an almost obnoxious politeness.

It made Astronema stiffen, and she asked the same thing she had asked Andros when he first appeared, just as Kae was first wandering off. "Who are you?"

For some reason, that brought a smile to Zhane's face. "Well, that's a complicated question," he drawled, looking as relaxed as any of them in the face of their former enemy. "I'd ask for your identity in return, but I think I've already got a pretty good idea. So let's try this: where's your counterpart?"

"My... what?" Astronema was frowning at him, Karen realized. Kae trembled beneath her hands, and she pulled him a little closer instinctively. She'd be scared of Astronema too, if she was him.

"You," Zhane said impatiently. "Our you. The person you kidnapped to be here."

"I didn't kidnap anyone," she snapped.

She was so vehement that she almost drowned out the voice coming from just in front of Karen. A small voice, one that Karen had never heard before, and it actually took her a second to figure out who it belonged to.

"Kerone?" Kae said, very softly. As quiet as it was, the word was perfectly distinct, and they all turned to stare at him in surprise.

Zhane found his voice first. "That's not Kerone, Kae. That's someone who looks like her, okay? She's gone for a little while, but she'll be back soon."

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Kae opened up his mouth, and Karen could feel him drawing breath. Zhane must have seen it too, because he had already started toward the boy when Kae started to scream. And he just kept screaming, shrilly, incessantly, hitting Zhane when the Silver Ranger tried to pull him away from Karen. Zhane took him anyway, picking him up and holding on while Kae kicked and pounded and screamed at him.

It was a short temper tantrum, at least by Karen's standards, even if it seemed to go on forever when they couldn't talk over him. It was a sad testament to how little strength Kae really had, that he couldn't scream for more than a few minutes at a time. In her experience, screaming fits like that were really only getting started by the time Kae collapsed into tears.

Zhane just hitched him up a little higher in his arms and rested his head against Kae's briefly. In the growing quiet, an electronic sound made Kristet take a step back and activate some kind of communicator. Astronema looked like she couldn't decide which was the bigger threat, that noise or the sobbing child in Zhane's arms.

In the end, they all just stood there awkwardly, waiting for Kristet to finish whatever she was doing.

She looked around at them when she put her communicator away. At Andros' nod, she offered, "Twelve abersiia patients have reported hallucinations. Ten of them are in Sai Kung... two of them are here, in Keyota."

"Do we know anything about the virus itself?" Andros asked, frowning. The news must have meant something to him. "Is it mutating? Where are these new symptoms coming from? Is the treatment still effective on these new cases?"

"So far, the treatment is effective, but no one who's reported hallucinations has been under medical care long enough to recover all the way." Kristet looked apologetic. "We won't know for another day, at least. I don't have any word about the virus, whether it's mutating or not."

"Okay, stop," Zhane interrupted. His voice immediately silenced Kae, and he patted the back of the boy's head gently. "This," he said, nodding toward Astronema, "is a big problem." He turned to indicate Kristet and declared, "That is not our fault. So could we focus, here?"

Karen closed her mouth, not about to risk Zhane's wrath. Especially when she didn't know anything. She had never heard him so short with anyone, let alone his friends.

"What do you want us to do?" Andros asked quietly. She thought it was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but Zhane answered anyway.

"I want you to use your super-telepathy to try to reach Astrea," he informed Andros. Catching Ashley's eye, he added, "I want you to get DECA scanning the place where you were when this happened--" Here he jerked his head at Astronema before continuing, "And I want you to tell me how you know my name."

Then he seemed to reconsider. "And," he declared, before anyone else could jump in. He shot a stare in Kristet's direction, a look that she would have called a glare on anyone but Zhane. "I want you to go do whatever it is you do to prove this new virus thing has nothing to do with us, so we can worry about more important stuff. Okay?"

"Zhane." Andros didn't look at all disturbed by Zhane's string of orders. "We're going to get her back."

"Yeah, no kidding we will," Zhane snapped. "Any time now. How about now? Or now? Is now good for you? Because now is good for me!"

"Yeah." Andros didn't flinch, perfectly calm in the face of Zhane's uncharacteristic frustration. "Now is good," he agreed quietly.

Zhane held his gaze for a long moment. Finally his eyes closed, and he might have taken a deep breath. But all he did was nod, press Kae a little closer to him, and turn away from them all for a long moment.

9. Insurgents

It was home. Funny that the place would still seem so familiar, so... safe. The one thing it had never been was still her first impression upon returning. Not that she trusted it, not a single thing about it, and the first thing she did was to look for her captor--

But the second thing she did was smile. The Dark Fortress had been her ship for a long time, and there was nothing about it that she didn't know. Without a single discernible awareness in the vicinity, organic or mechanical, she shifted into a less recognizable form and started to inspect her surroundings.

She was careful not to move, in case whatever had brought her here was about to send her back with just as little warning. But she identified the junction at which she was standing, the nearest surveillance devices, and the sound of approaching footsteps. That made her turn, pivoting in place to face the wall as though working. No one would question a quantron at work.

Ecliptor. She recognized his voice immediately, growling at someone who was wisely keeping silent. "When you find her report back to me," Ecliptor said harshly. "Say nothing to Astronema."

The twin sounds of quantron acknowledgement were his only response, and she raised an eyebrow as he stomped past her in the narrow hallway. His mechanical escort evaporated and she heard him mutter to himself, "These games weren't cute when you were ten, Princess."

He was looking for... her? She frowned, turning her head just enough that she could watch him go. Had he dispatched those quantrons to find her? He used to do that, sometimes, when she didn't answer the intercom. It was an insult that someone would expect her to listen when they wouldn't go to the trouble of coming to her in person, so she made them look.

She had known that infuriated Ecliptor. Her lips twitched, and she told herself firmly that the time for childish glee was long past. Like any good soldier in a dictatorship, he never reproached her for the problems she caused him. And like any good dictator, she had taken his silence as acceptance.

She returned to her study of the wall, frowning again. Those days were over. He couldn't be looking for her, not unless he had been responsible for her sudden presence on the ship. She had given the Dark Fortress to Ecliptor with the unspoken understanding that she would never set foot on it again. Yet here she was, and someone had to have brought her here.

*Andros,* she thought intently. Her brother had probably already gotten a frantic call from Ashley by now. *I'm on the Dark Fortress.*

The answer was longer in coming than it should have been. *Kerone?*

*No, the spy goddess,* she retorted. *Who do you think? Where's Ashley?*

She should have tried Ashley first, she thought with a sigh. Andros could be shockingly slow on the uptake sometimes. If there weren't weapons being fired all around him, or things exploding in front of his face, he could be daydreaming a galaxy away for all anyone knew.

*Ashley?* she thought. *Are you still at the Center?*

*Kerone... what are you doing on the Dark Fortress?* Andros sounded odd, but she figured that was a fair question. Too bad she didn't have an answer.

*I wish I knew,* she replied. *One minute I was at the Center with Ashley, and the next thing I know, I'm surrounded by Ecliptor's quantron army.*

Ashley wasn't answering, which worried her. *Ashley?* she tried again.

When this produced no response, she told Andros, *Ashley's not answering. Get DECA to look for her. I'm worried that whatever sent me to the Dark Fortress sent her somewhere to. Obviously not here--probably not here,* she amended, looking around. *I'll start looking, just in case.*

*Kerone.* Andros' thoughts sounded disturbingly disorganized. *You can't be with Ashley. Ashley's on Earth. And you're... we lost you on KO-35."

Those words made her spine tingle, but she was controlled enough not to shiver. *When?* she demanded. Could she have lost time somehow? Was this a future far removed from the day she had woken up to this morning?

*Four years ago,* he told her. *When KO-35 was invaded. Zhane and I were the only--this is crazy. I'm crazy; why am I imagining this? Why do I do this to myself?*

*You're not imagining anything,* she snapped. *I'm here and I'm real and I want some answers. KO-35 was invaded again? By whom? What happened to Ashley and Ty? Where are you?*

There was no answer, and now she was starting to worry. The Dark Fortress was still there, she reminded herself. Ecliptor was here. She wasn't totally alone, and she wasn't exactly in unfamiliar territory. She had a place to start from and she would be able to make her own way if she needed to. And it was starting to look like she might need to, at least for a while.

*Andros,* she demanded. *Talk to me.*

It seemed to jolt him out of what was probably a haze of self-recrimination. *We met Ash two years ago,* he thought slowly. *I don't know who 'Ty' is.*

She didn't like the rapid escalation of the weird, and she thought he could probably hear it in her tone. *Your teammate, Ty. Tixe. The Black Ranger.*

Andros' mental voice was as short as hers. *Kaeth was the Black Ranger.*

Kaeth. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it. *I don't know any Kaeth,* she told Andros. *But if I've somehow lost four years then I...* Something useful finally occurred to her. *How old are you?*

*Twenty. How old are you?* He sounded defensive, but the answer actually made her relax a little. She wasn't in the future. She was in some bizarre dream, or loyalty test, or weird alternate dimension--

She was in an alternate dimension. That was it. Was that even possible? Last year the former Astro Rangers had all started seeing things from JT's dimension. What if it was happening to her now?

*Do you know JT?* she asked abruptly.

*Of course I know JT. I guess that proves you're a figment of my imagination,* he added, *since there's no way my sister would know him.*

Common ground. It might not make any sense, but she was starting to get a vague idea of what might have happened. *You're right about one thing,* Kerone remarked, rapidly trying to rearrange her worldview. *I don't know JT. But I do know Justin, and I'm pretty sure I'm in the wrong dimension right now.*

But if she was here, and Ecliptor was looking for Astronema, then...

This could potentially be very bad. *I think Astronema's on KO-35,* she thought. *With Ashley. And the children...* Oh, she really hoped that Ashley had been able to keep her double from doing anything too destructive. Especially with children around.

*Kerone,* Andros repeated, for the third time. *You're... Kerone. From Justin's dimension.*

"You there." An unexpectedly human sounding voice made her freeze, but she didn't turn around. Quantrons never assumed they were the ones being addressed, even when they were. "I have a task for you."

The proximity of the voice made her tilt her head, and it confirmed, "Yes, you. Astronema wants copies of her upper level surveillance loaded onto this device. Leave it in the command center by the tactical grid when you're done."

She turned mechanically, wondering who this person thought he was. Human, at least as far as she could tell, short dark hair and a mustache. She'd never seen him before. And what he was asking her to do was absolutely prohibited. She didn't care how different this Dark Fortress was or wasn't, there was no way she would have trusted anyone with the upper level surveillance.

*Kerone,* Andros' voice intruded. *You have to get out of there.*

*Shut up,* she snapped reflexively. *I'm busy.*

"Who do I report to?" she asked the dark man. She took the device he thrust at her, repeating her question when he didn't seem inclined to reply.

"What?" Maybe he didn't understand quantron speech. He wouldn't get far on the Dark Fortress if he didn't, though. "Oh, never mind, just get going. Go, shoo!"

He would pay for that, she thought. Behind the metallic mask her eyes narrowed as she watched him hurry off down the corridor. That was the stride of someone who didn't want to get caught, and suddenly she was quite sure that he knew what he was doing was forbidden.

He would never expect a quantron to follow him, so she didn't even wait until he had rounded the corner to start after him. She did make the device disappear, though. If he turned around, he would see just another anonymous soldier. Could be any quantron walking along the hall behind him--any quantron except the one he had just been talking to, since this one didn't have anything in its hands.

She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. The dark little man was gone, and in his place was a figure straight out of her nightmares. She should pivot and go the other way, she should do it now, but she was frozen in place as she stared after the retreating form of Darkonda.

*Andros.* She needed any reassurance she could get right now, and she reached out for him instinctively. *Darkonda's here. On the Dark Fortress.*

*Who?* The question reminded her that this wasn't the brother she'd grown up with and lost, the one she had rediscovered so recently. *Who's Darkonda?*

*He kidnapped me,* she said matter-of-factly. She forced herself to turn around and start back down the corridor toward her original position. *When I was little, he took me away from KO-35 and told me my entire family had been killed by the Power Rangers. He sold me to Ecliptor.*

*What?* Even Andros' thoughts sounded horrified. *Kerone, you were never kidnapped. You were a Ranger for KO-35 until the planet was invaded four years ago and...*

*And I died,* she finished for him. *With the rest of the team, right? Except for you and Zhane. You two escaped to Eltare. Right?*

There was a long silence. *Zhane wasn't a Ranger,* he thought at last, but she got the feeling it wasn't what he meant to say.

*And I didn't die,* she told him. *So we were both wrong. Your dimension has an Astronema, and it's me. Believe me, I've met her. Your Kerone is alive, and she's not as evil as you think.*

He didn't answer, and she considered her options. She had anonymity as a quantron and under normal circumstances could probably roam the ship at will indefinitely. But Ecliptor was already looking for Astronema, which meant that he was going to figure out she was missing sooner rather than later. What would he do when that happened? As well as she knew Ecliptor, she didn't think she could predict his reaction to that discovery.

There were several plausible possibilities, of course. One, he would cover up her disappearance until she returned or he determined her location. Two, he would declare an intruder alert as an excuse to lock the ship down and search every section there was. Three, he would assume control of the Dark Fortress himself and prepare a very nasty welcome for her upon her return.

She was going to have to make sure he found Astronema--and soon. That was all there was to it, and she was fairly sure she could pull it off. But she would need a lot more information than she had right now.

The best thing she had going for her right now was the fact that Darkonda apparently believed a quantron could walk into Astronema's inner sanctum without being questioned. Only fair, she thought, that his treachery would provide her with such a valuable piece of information. She would have to thank him for that later.

Assuming he wasn't completely delusional, of course.

*Kerone.* Andros sounded upset but steady. *You need to get out of there. Now. You did it before, when you brought Ashley back to us. Do it again. Come here. We can keep you safe until we figure out what happened.*

She smiled to herself as she abandoned her "work" station and headed for the upper levels. It was nice of him to suggest such a thing, even if it was impossible. *I can't do that,* she told him. *Astronema's gone, and if she stays gone, any hope you had of an alliance with her is gone too. I have to stay here.*

She didn't have to spell it out for him. *You're going to impersonate Astronema? You'll get yourself killed!*

*Maybe,* she agreed, hooking clumsy metal fingers over the ladder rungs and starting to climb. *And if I don't, maybe I'll get you killed. There's more of you than there are of me, Andros.*

*You can't count numbers when you're talking about people's lives!* His fury filled her head, and she noted that she'd hit a sore spot. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. He lived in a war zone, after all.

*No,* she agreed soothingly. *But you can count choices. I choose to stay.*

It had been Zhane who hauled him out of the war room. It had been Zhane who locked the door behind them, keeping everyone else on the other side. It was Zhane who stood behind him now, hands on his shoulders, while he slumped over the conference table and tried to convince himself that he hadn't gone crazy.

And it was Zhane who sat down next to him when he lifted his head, watching him without question or suspicion or curiosity. Zhane had never asked anything of him, and it looked like he wasn't going to start now. Kerone had always said he was too good for Andros... too good for any of them.

*Please be careful,* he begged someone who might or might not still be listening.

He couldn't help waiting, holding his breath in the hope of a reply. It came, and it crushed him with its casual assurance. *Same to you,* his sister answered.

Unable to face Zhane, he turned his head back to the table and whispered, "I'm sorry." To whom and for what, he couldn't be sure anymore. But he was sorry.

"Sorry doesn't get us anywhere," Zhane said gently. "It's not about the past, it's about the future. That's what we're fighting for."

Andros stared at the table for a long moment, wondering how Zhane always knew what to say. "What if we're fighting for the wrong thing?" he asked rhetorically.

"We're not," Zhane replied. That was all, just we're not. Decision made, agonizing over, time to take action. Just like Kerone.

"It's true," Andros blurted out. "Astronema really is Kerone."

There was a moment of silence, and he looked up at Zhane's totally neutral expression. There was nothing revealed on that face, never had been, and Andros sometimes wondered if that was just the way he was or if that was what his life had made him. Mask or manner or both?

"She's alive," Zhane said at last. "That's great news."

"She's Astronema!" Andros shouted. "She's--"

He closed his mouth with an effort, clenching his fists. He'd thought he had come to terms with the possibility. He'd even tried to put it aside, knowing that it didn't help him make any of the decisions that had to be made. But to hear her voice inside his head, to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this was no trick, no illusion meant to break him, just the true and honest confusion of a girl who never should have ended up where she was...

He could feel tears sting his eyes. The anger and the despair surged just as fast and hard as the hope that lately seemed to spring from the strangest places, and then he was being held and he'd never done anything to deserve the faith that Zhane had in him. But he took it, and he drew strength from it. He let the Silver Ranger comfort him during the times that no one else should see.

"Don't you know," Zhane whispered. "This is why people follow you."

It was so strange, so unexpected. He wouldn't let go of Zhane and he wanted to hear his voice but the words didn't mean anything to him. His entire team, lost... except for the one who became Astronema. How could it have even happened?

"Because you still feel things," Zhane continued softly, not seeming to expect a reply. "So many people here are hardened to the reality of a life at war. You've never stopped mourning the people who are lost, or celebrating the ones who survive."

Their morphers had come back to him after the fall of Sai Kung. Morphers didn't leave their Rangers, not ever, not while they were alive and fighting... not while they were alive and fighting for good. But she couldn't have been evil then, she couldn't, it wasn't possible.

She couldn't have been evil. She couldn't have died if she was still alive. And her morpher had appeared in his keeping before he left the planet.

One of those three things had to be untrue.

"Don't blame yourself, Andros." Zhane's voice was like warmth inside his soul. "And don't ever give up, because you're everything we need."

And this was everything he needed. Zhane kept him together. "You're what I need," he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut to he let their embrace keep everything else at bay, just for a little while.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. Probably not as long as he thought, but after the first minutes had passed it could have been an hour and he wouldn't have known. Zhane just sat there and held him, shifting occasionally to get closer or more comfortable, and Andros tried not to think.

It didn't work, of course, but he held out against thoughts of what had to be done for a long time. Better to hang onto Zhane for as long as he could, because who knew when this could be taken from them. He couldn't imagine life without Zhane, and so he didn't. But he didn't take it for granted, either. Zhane was life.

"We need to tell the others," he said at last, not moving.

"Are you sure?" Zhane didn't sound skeptical, just... steady. "Would it change anything for them to know that Astronema is Kerone?"

"It's not just that." Finally he pulled back, keeping his hands on Zhane's arms. Then he thought better of it and lifted one hand to his face, then the other, trying to dry his eyes and push his hair back at the same time.

The gesture made Zhane smile, though what was funny about him falling apart he had no idea. Zhane just reached out, touching his face to reassure him before standing up and moving around behind him. He felt Zhane's fingers in his hair a moment later. "Let me get this out of your way," Zhane offered.

Andros didn't answer, which Zhane correctly read as assent. "She contacted me telepathically," he said instead. "She's switched places with the Kerone from Justin's dimension, and that Kerone came looking for me in my head."

Zhane's fingers kept stroking through his hair, apparently unsurprised by this revelation. "I thought JT stopped with the ID experiments so no one would switch anymore."

The idea that JT would actually give up one of his favorite research projects struck Andros as wildly unlikely, but he knew what Zhane meant. JT would have at least been more discreet about it, and that meant changing whatever he and Justin were doing so that it didn't get the attention of every Ranger on the planet. "I don't think JT did this," Andros muttered, staring down at the floor.

It didn't make sense on too many different levels. Not just the fact that JT had said he would stop, or the fact that JT ought to be too busy to come up with something so crazy in the first place. But the fact that Kerone didn't have a morpher anymore. The fact that she switched when no one else did. The fact that she hadn't expected it, hadn't even thought of it as a possibility when she first switched... that didn't sound like JT's doing.

"Is that why you wanted to tell them?" Zhane guessed. Andros could feel his hair being manipulated gently, pulled away from his face and twisted into what was probably a braid. "So you could ask him about it?"

"Yeah." They were going to have to help her out, if she was determined to take Astronema's place for the duration. And what was the duration? What if Astronema had already returned? Or worse, what if she returned tomorrow or the next day, after Kerone had already had time to have an effect on the Dark Fortress? Wouldn't that put Astronema in just as much danger as Kerone if she didn't know?

*Kerone?* He wasn't sure what he expected, but her immediate response wasn't it. No response, maybe. How had she even managed to communicate with him over such a distance? He knew real telepaths weren't supposed to be limited that way, but the two of them had never put it to the test.

Her voice was achingly familiar. *Yes?*

He swallowed. *Nothing. I'm sorry.*

*Andros.* She sounded concerned, and he wondered what she was doing that she could afford to be distracted like this. *Are you all right?*

I thought you were dead! He wanted to shout at her but he didn't have the energy or the emotion left over. I thought Astronema was trying to trick me! To lose her, only to get her back in so twisted a way... would it have been better if she had died?

Ashley wouldn't think so. Ashley would tell him that Astronema really was good, deep down inside. Ashley would say that Astronema was just confused, that she didn't remember who she was, that something had been done to her and it wasn't her fault. Even Kerone herself had admitted that she used to be Astronema--the Kerone from Justin's dimension, anyway--and that she had found her way home in spite of it.

How, he wondered suddenly? How had this other Kerone remembered who she was? How had she come back to him when Astronema seemed incapable of anything but lies and devastation? What was it about her that made Ashley trust her?

*I just wanted to hear your voice,* Andros thought sadly. It was hard to lie to a telepath. *I've missed you. I miss you so much.*

*We'll talk,* Kerone promised without hesitation. *Later. It's not too late for us, or for her. Okay, Andros?*

Somehow, she made him believe. Maybe he had to. Maybe if he didn't he was no different than the rest of the League Rangers, fighting a war without hope. *We'll help you,* he told her. *We can tell you everything Astronema told us. It's not much, but you'll know where the underground stands--on this end, at least.*

*Good.* There was a pause. *I'm going to need that, but not right now. I have to deal with some other things first.*

*Go,* he agreed. *Deal. I'll be here.*

He thought he could hear a smile in her voice when she replied, *I know.*

He couldn't make himself answer, and he knew he shouldn't when she was busy. He was grateful when Zhane's hands settled on his shoulders again, apparently finished with his hair. "Want to go now?" the Silver Ranger inquired. "Or should we wait out the strategy session?"

They had waited long enough already. "Let's go now," Andros said, feeling Zhane's hands slide off his shoulders as he stood. He caught one hand before Zhane could turn away, pulling him into another hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

Zhane turned his head and pressed a kiss to his neck. His arms tightened in wordless support, and another long moment passed. Finally Andros straightened, their gazes meeting before they headed for the door.

JT was missing when they re-entered the war room. Every eye in the room turned toward them, and Andros might have felt embarrassed if not for Zhane's unwavering presence at his side. "Where's JT?" he demanded.

It was Saryn who answered. "He left to take an emergency call from an undisclosed source."

Andros exchanged glances with Zhane. "Where?"

"He was summoned to Co-Op," Saryn replied. His intent gaze said that he suspected something already, but Andros didn't feel like explaining twice. Or three times.

"I need to talk to him," Andros said simply. "We'll be back before you're done."

JT wasn't in Co-Op, but that wasn't much of a surprise. When Saryn said "Co-Op" Andros had immediately filled in "JT's office." The room had once been a secondary strategy council, but JT had taken it over as he started to spend more and more time in Co-Op. He actually cleared people to enter now, and Andros and Zhane had to wait until he admitted them.

JT was talking to himself again. Or rather, he was talking to his counterpart on the monitor, but he waved them in without interrupting Justin. Justin stopped when he saw them anyway, and JT filled them in curtly. "Kerone's disappeared."

"She's here," Andros replied. "On the Dark Fortress. Is Astronema with them?"

JT just stared at him, but on the screen, Justin nodded. "Yeah, Astronema's on KO-35. She doesn't have any idea what happened."

"Neither does Kerone," Andros told him. "She thought she was in the future at first. Did you do this?" he asked JT.

JT held up his hands in a warding gesture. "This is the first I've heard of it. How do you know what's going on?"

"Kerone contacted me." It was almost worth it to see the startled look on JT's face. "Telepathically. I told her to come here, but she won't. She's going to stay on the Dark Fortress and try to be Astronema so our whole rebel alliance doesn't disintegrate."

JT caught up fast, he'd give him that. "If she can pull it off," he said thoughtfully, "this could actually work to our advantage. Assuming she's any more trustworthy than our Astronema... we'd have a direct line to the Dark Fortress. Through you."

Andros could only stare at him. He felt Zhane's hand settle against the small of his back, a subtle gesture meant to calm. It was the only thing that kept him from snarling at a boy who was too cold and calculating for the youthful face he wore. A boy that maybe reminded him a little too much of himself.

"You can trust her," Justin was saying. "She's a Power Ranger."

Zhane spoke before JT could reply. "If she's willing to risk her life to help us, we've got to help her in return," he told the screen. "Astronema knows what information she needs, right? Can you get her to tell us so we can feed it to Kerone?"

"I'm not in contact with her right now," Justin answered. "I'll pass your message on to Andros and have him see what he can do."

"Good." Andros tried to ignore the fact that he was sending a message to himself. "Ask him if Ashley's all right, while you're at it. Kerone was worried."

He got odd looks from all three of them, but Justin nodded. "Can do."

She hadn't expected to sleep well. She knew she needed it, needed any sleep she could get at this point, and she knew that this was her best chance to get it. She had been assured that this structure was secure, and thanks to the curfew it was also dark and quiet until six in the morning. Ironic that she had been promised better sleeping conditions undercover than she had had for years on Eltare.

It couldn't quiet her mind. It couldn't turn off the underlying tension, the certainty that she could be called to action at any hour. But somehow, without her conscious acceptance, it did soothe her into a superficial sleep. She didn't notice until she woke up the first time, but sleep did come, and after the first doze it stayed with her for hours.

The second time, she woke up to the sound of a woman's voice. Someone calling her name, someone she didn't immediately recognize... she sat up, instantly alert in the darkness. "Who's there?"

*Ashley?*

The sound came again, distinct but directionless, and she grabbed her field jacket as she rolled out of bed. "Who's there?" she asked again.

This time there was no reply. She fumbled her way to the door, cursing the curfew that kept her from turning on the lights. She reached for her weapon, checked the resistance teleporter in her pocket, and listened for a moment before cracking the door. There was no sound from the hallway.

Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but her skin was crawling and that voice had to have come from somewhere. Maybe the first time she had been dreaming, but not the second. She had been fully awake the second time.

The room across the hall was Cam's, and it was empty. That made her nervous. Under normal circumstances, she would have pegged him as the type to stay up till all hours working on some pet project that no one else would even understand. But this was war, this was occupation, and the curfew was no joke. A single light would bring soldiers to their door, and she was sure Cam was too careful for that.

She put her hand on the wall and started to feel her way toward the front of the house. She paused every couple of steps to listen, but she still heard nothing. The work room was empty. The living room was empty. The kitchen was empty too, and that meant she was the only person in this house right now.

She shouldn't leave. She knew that, she knew she didn't have a chance on her own in a world she no longer understood. But if she was on her own anyway, she liked her odds a lot better if she was mobile. No one wanted to be a sitting duck.

She didn't bother with supplies. She had her field jacket. She wasn't wasting any time if her nearest ally was suddenly missing. Anything that could take an experienced ninja out of the house without her knowing it could catch her in less than the time it took to find a flashlight.

She heard movement when she pushed the back door loose. Movement from outside. It made her hesitate, ears straining, trying to decide whether to run for the front door or hold position. Had whatever it was noticed the door move?

A weapon armed, the soft hiss penetrating the silence. She tensed to leap back when a whisper held her in place. "Ash?"

She couldn't tell if the voice had actually called her "Ash" or if it just spoke to softly for her to hear the rest of her name. "Yeah," she breathed, figuring the enemy didn't make a habit of whispering people's names when they were caught sneaking out of their house at night.

"Cam," the voice whispered. Whether that was an identification, a request, or a protest, she couldn't tell, but she held her ground and a moment later a shadow ghosted up to the door. She stepped back to let it enter, not totally surprised when it was followed by a second.

The taller shadow closed the door behind them. "Away from the door," it muttered.

She tried not to jump when she felt a hand on her arm. Cam, she thought, catching a sparkle from the necklace he wore as he guided her down the hall. There was no sound from behind her, but she didn't doubt that the second shadow was following.

He steered her into the work room, stopping just inside the door. "Sorry to wake you," he whispered. "You have good hearing."

"We're at war too," Ashley whispered back.

He didn't acknowledge that. "Hunter says they've stepped up the raids. Maybe random, maybe not. We made some noise bringing you in yesterday."

"Raids, where?" she whispered, alarmed. "After curfew, even?"

"They're going house to house in town." The taller shadow must be Hunter. It was a little disconcerting to be talking to people she barely knew when she couldn't even see them, but it blunted the news a little too. Somehow things seemed a little less immediate in the darkness.

"Will they come out this way?" she wondered.

"Doubt it." And that was all he said.

"If they do," Cam whispered. "I'll know before they get here and you can hide in the basement. If for whatever reason they make it to the door before you know they're here, do not hide."

He paused, and she repeated it back to him. "Don't hide if I'm not already gone by the time they knock. Got it."

"You're from Angel Grove," Cam continued softly. "You work at DP 257. It's a desalination plant in Angel Grove and anyone who asks will know what it means. Your ride ditched you and you couldn't make it back before curfew."

"And I was visiting you why?" Ashley whispered.

"You're my girlfriend," he said dryly. "Why else?"

This prompted a snort from Hunter, and she smiled to herself. "Right," she agreed. "DP 257, came to see my boyfriend, couldn't make it back before curfew."

"They won't come out here," Hunter told her. "Cam's got some weird ninja mojo going on this place; most people don't even remember it's here."

"You seem to find it with surprising frequency," Cam muttered.

"I'm motivated," Hunter informed him.

And he probably hadn't come all this way just to tell Cam that the raids were increasing, either. If he was so confident that they wouldn't come here, the news could easily have waited until morning. "I'll just... go back to bed then," Ashley whispered, glad that the enforced quiet disguised some of the awkwardness.

"Wait." Cam stopped her before she could take more than a step back. "What do you know about controlling a zord without a morpher?"

"I've done it before," she answered honestly. "It wasn't fun, but it's not impossible either."

"We're gonna have to do it," Hunter said softly. "We've got twenty-seven zords and six morphers."

Twenty-seven. It was a staggering number, especially when she considered none of them had fought during the initial invasion. There was no point in questioning past battle decisions, especially when the force in question hadn't actually been a battle force at the time. She couldn't help wondering, though...

Nineteen zords defended Eltare now. But if it ever fell she doubted they could retake it with less than twice that number. It was always easier to defend then attack.

"Least experienced pilots get the morphers," she said with a sigh. "You know that's the only way to do it."

"It's not that easy," Cam muttered. "Ninjas have elemental affinities. So do the morphers. Three elements, three morphers. You can't mix and match."

"Let me get this straight," Ashley whispered. "Not only do the morphers have to go to ninjas, but they have to go to ninjas with a particular... elemental affinity?"

"That's the way it works," Hunter told her. "Zords too. Gotta have the right element. Otherwise, kaboom."

"There's no 'kaboom'." Cam sounded vaguely exasperated. "The zord simply resists an unmatched pilot to the point of malfunction."

"Like I said," Hunter agreed. "Kaboom."

"I knew about the zords." Ashley frowned to herself, wondering what exactly counted as an "affinity." "I didn't realize the morphers were the same way."

There was a subtle vibration against her skin, and those things had been designed and tested for subtlety but in the silent darkness she wasn't the only one who heard it. She didn't even hear it; she felt it, as she was supposed to. But Cam and Hunter were either psychic or supernatural, because they heard something.

She didn't need the tingling feeling at the back of her neck to know that both their weapons were now pointed at her.

Ashley's answer was a long time coming, and finally he gave Billy a worried look. "You're sure the transmission can't be traced."

"There's nothing to trace," Billy told him. "I've run numerous tests, and in every instance the signal appears to originate from the device in which it's received."

Carlos didn't dare signal her again. They waited.

Finally, a quiet voice whispered into the room over the open comm link. "Carlos? It's Ashley."

"Can you talk?" he asked, instinctively lowering his voice to match hers.

"No." That wasn't Ashley, and he stiffened at the unmistakable hostility in the man's voice. "This planet is under a communications blackout and this continent is under curfew. Any signal at all will bring raiders down on us in a matter of minutes."

That explained the long silence, then. "Then I assume the fact that you're talking to me at all means you've already figured out this signal doesn't exist. The raiders have had plenty of time, right? And they're not there."

"Carlos knows what's at stake," Ashley's voice hissed. "He would never contact me if it could compromise us in any way."

"He can't make that call," the other voice replied. "He doesn't know the situation."

Their whispers were suddenly easier to hear, and Carlos looked up. Billy gave him a thumbs-up, mouthing something to him that probably had to do with boosting the gain. Carlos nodded, returning the thumbs-up in thanks.

"This is Billy," the Blue Aquitian Ranger announced, and he didn't speak loudly but he didn't bother to whisper either. "I'm a Ranger for Aquitar, and I assure you no one can identify this signal, let alone trace it. I assume you've already tried."

Carlos gave a half-smile. Yeah, he was sure they'd tried to. Like he hadn't tried everything he could think of to prove to himself the signal was secure before he'd even considered contacting Ashley. Thanks for the faith, guys.

"They tried." It was Ashley again. "Took it away from me and held a gun to my head while they did it, too."

She must have handed over her transmitter voluntarily. There was no way they would have been able to detect it, otherwise. Even the guys who had designed them couldn't tell when they were in use.

"Great," Carlos told her. "So you all trust each other."

There was a brief hesitation, but Ashley correctly interpreted his comment. "Yeah," she answered. "What's going on?"

"We're ready," he answered simply.

There was a longer pause this time.

"Excuse me?" the male voice on Ashley's transmitter asked at last.

"The Aquitian Rangers have agreed to stage an assault on the Earth occupation," Carlos told the still-anonymous voice. First rule of resistance: don't ask anyone to identify themselves if they don't volunteer on their own. "They can be there in a couple of days."

"A couple of days?" It was the unidentified voice again. Ashley didn't answer at all, which Carlos guessed meant she was with someone who actually had some authority in the ninja resistance.

"Days," Carlos repeated. "Two at least, four at most. You can basically pick the time of arrival, but don't change your mind once you do. Everyone's going to see them coming. They're counting on a ground force to back them up."

He knew surprise when he heard it, even if no one was talking. Carlos tried not to smirk, knowing they'd be able to hear it in his voice if he did. He'd been pretty startled himself. He got the impression that no one questioned the White Ranger, though. If she said they could do it, they could do it. And they would.

"We have a ground force," someone said, and Carlos frowned. Was it his imagination, or were there two different people there with Ashley? "We're kinda short on pilots, though."

"How short?" Carlos demanded.

"Three," the voice answered, and yeah, that definitely wasn't the same person who had been talking before. "Twenty-seven vehicles, twenty-four pilots. Counting you."

That last almost sounded like a question. Carlos didn't wonder for long, though, because Ashley confirmed, "Yeah, count me."

"So, twenty-four," the voice repeated. "We need three more."

"Find them," Carlos advised. "Find them and get them ready, because we're on our way."

"We can't train anyone in two days." That sounded more like the first voice, and Carlos really wondered who he was talking to. "Even with morphers, they wouldn't be ready."

"Every day that goes by is another day that the resistance could be discovered," Carlos reminded him. "'Ready' won't do them any good if they're dead."

"Don't lecture us," the second voice snapped.

"It's okay." The first voice was quiet, like it wasn't really talking to the rest of them at all. "He's right. We'll find three more pilots by tomorrow night. Can you contact us again then?"

"I can contact Ashley any time," Carlos said pointedly. "Tell me when, then go away so I can talk to her alone."

Strangely, the voices on the other end seemed to respect that. They picked a time to re-establish contact, and then, as far as he knew, they left. Ashley started talking again, anyway, so that was a good sign. He got as much information as he could from her, including assurances that she really was okay, and gave as much in return as he figured she wanted. There was such a thing as too much information, especially when it came to uncertain tactical scenarios.

When they'd finally caught each other up--and he saw Billy taking notes the whole time--he braced himself to repeat the entire thing with Eltare. Or at least, most of it, minus the part where he explained the transmission and hopefully the gun-waving. He'd already surprised Eltare with Aquitar's "nonexistent" transmission once, so they should be expecting him this time.

Andros answered. Not, Andros was there, or even, someone called Andros and he showed up quickly. No, Andros actually answered the incoming transmission, and that made Carlos nervous. There were only two possibilities: either Andros had been waiting for him, or Andros had been in Co-Op and was wound so tightly that he was doing other people's jobs. Both seemed equally bad.

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked. He didn't bother to say hello, or even to explain his question. Andros would know what he was asking.

Andros knew. "Astronema's not in charge of the Dark Fortress anymore," he said. He didn't look nearly grim enough about it, and Carlos frowned warily. Andros continued before he could ask. "Kerone is."

That explained exactly nothing, and Carlos' frown deepened. "What does that mean?"

"It means that we have reliable communication with someone we can trust on the Dark Fortress," Andros told him. "We don't know how long it will last, but we have to take advantage of it while we can. Did you reach Ash?"

"Yeah." If Andros had had time to explain, he would have done it, so Carlos resigned himself to not understanding. "She'll have twenty-seven zords ready to fly in a day, and the Aquitians can be there in two."

"Will it work?" Andros asked bluntly.

"I think we can retake the planet," Carlos answered. "I don't know whether we can hold it."

He could hear the ironic humor in Andros' voice when he replied. "As strange as it sounds, we may end up being your diversion, instead of the other way around. From what Kerone can see, Astronema's been telling the truth about a Border mutiny. It's going to happen fast, it's going to be big, and it may just keep reinforcements off your back."

Carlos exchanged glances with Billy. "Man, Andros," he said after a moment, "you sure know how to throw a party."

"It's a team effort," Andros countered, without so much as a pause. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, if you have a second." He didn't wait for Andros to answer, since they both knew he was going to ask anyway. "How's Karen?"

"Karen's doing great. She's flying well and she knows how to keep her head down when she needs to. She makes a good Ranger."

Carlos snorted. "Yeah, cause keeping their heads down is really something Rangers are known for."

"I'll tell her you said so." Andros sounded amused.

"Please don't," Carlos said with a sigh. "Just keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

"I will," Andros said simply. No reminder that he kept an eye on everyone, that they were all important or that he was phenomenally busy. Just, I will. That was why he was the Red Ranger.

"If you stick to the call schedule," Andros added, "I'll have her up here next time so you can talk to her yourself."

Carlos swallowed. He had secretly hoped she might be around this time, but he hadn't really expected it. "Thanks, man. That'd be great."

"Sure. Stay safe, Carlos."

"Yeah, you too."

He ended the transmission, closing his eyes briefly and sending a silent appeal for the welfare of his wife. He had no doubt that Karen did make a good Ranger, but he was equally sure that his characterization of Rangers was more accurate than Andros'. Keeping her head down was something she'd never been very good at.

When he looked up again, Billy was waiting for his attention. "Every part of our strike force is going to count," he said, as though their previous conversation hadn't been on hold for the last two transmissions. "You think you can fly one of our fighters?"

Carlos smiled grimly. It wasn't really even a question, and Billy knew it. "Does it have weapons?"

10. Caretakers

"Ashley told me."

"She bring the team photo album with her?"

Astronema glared at him. "She said Zhane was the Silver Ranger. You're a Ranger, you're wearing silver, do the math."

"So you don't remember anything about KO-35?" Zhane pressed. He tried to ignore Kae's insistent tugs on the sleeve of his shirt. "Kae, not right now, okay?"

"I didn't know anything about this miserable planet until Dark Spectre ordered me here," she informed him. "Ashley told me I used to be a Ranger here. If it's true, I'm glad I don't remember it. It obviously wasn't one of the great success stories of our time."

"No thanks to you and your minions," Zhane retorted.

"Oh, stop that," she said crossly. "I was either good or I wasn't; you can't have it both ways."

"Kae." Zhane looked down at the boy and tried to soften his tone. It wasn't his fault there was no one else left to watch him. "You want to go make some noise in the kitchen?"

Kae just stared at him, but it was easier than looking at Astronema so Zhane stared right back. "What do you say? Want to go bang on all the stuff Ty takes away from you?"

"You're encouraging him to be loud and disruptive?" Astronema sounded incredulous.

"I'm encouraging him to entertain himself," Zhane said impatiently. "What's so bad about that?"

His digimorpher beeped. He flipped it open with a suppressed sigh, acknowledging a call from Kristet. "Need something?"

"Yes." She paused just long enough for him to open his mouth before continuing, "Public health access. Can you get me into the health center network?"

"Yeah, sure. Hang on." Zhane didn't even bother to close his digimorpher. "DECA?"

Her hologram appeared beside him, and he got a kind of mean satisfaction from seeing Astronema jump. "Yes, Zhane?"

"Authorize Kristet's comm to access the health center network, would you? She's trying to take over the world and I don't want to get in her way."

DECA gave him a curious look that said she didn't appreciate his humor. "Isn't facilitating a takeover of your homeworld exactly the opposite of what a Ranger is traditionally expected to do?"

This time he didn't bother to hide his sigh. "Yes, DECA, thank you for defining sarcasm."

"While not my primary goal," she replied primly, "I am pleased to serve in any capacity you choose."

"Funny," Zhane muttered, but she ignored him.

"Kristet Sinai is authorized to access the health center network," DECA added, almost as an afterthought.

"You're all set," Zhane told his digimorpher.

"Thanks," Kristet's voice answered. "I promise not to advertise everything I find."

Zhane was sorely tempted to tell her to do whatever she wanted as long as it couldn't be traced to him. He managed to restrain himself, though, and even got out a civil sort of, "You're welcome." Kae yanked on his arm again, and he was up and heading for the kitchen before he'd even put his digimorpher away. Better to hit pots and pans than the kid.

Kae was as enthusiastic as ever about yanking things out of their accustomed places, which was loud and obnoxious when those "things" included cookware, but Zhane didn't really care at this point. It was a big hangar. They were used to noise. And he had about a dozen too many demands on his attention right now.

"This is recreational?" Astronema demanded loudly. He turned around to find her watching from the far side of the counter with a skeptical expression on her face.

"This is a distraction," he answered, but the words were drowned out as Kae dropped a particularly large cooking sheet on the floor.

"This is a distraction," he repeated, in the pause between the cooking sheet and the emergence of a large ladle. "You know, like when you send velocifighters in one direction and the really scary ships in another. Anything the velocifighters destroy is just a bonus."

Astronema narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't like me," she remarked, as though it was a source of surprise for her.

"A Ranger, not liking the princess of evil?" He stared at her, unable to muster the energy to feign shock. "Maybe they'll take away my morpher."

"Ashley liked me," she informed him. "She said we used to be teammates. Why don't you like me?"

He hadn't missed the petulant child tone that Astrea used to be so good at. "Because my teammate is in the middle of your war zone," he said bluntly. "Because you're withholding information that could help her. And because I've had a lousy day and you're just a really good target."

Astronema seemed to consider that for a moment. He had no doubt that under normal circumstances, anyone who considered her a target of any kind usually ended up being one himself. But instead of threatening to blow his head off she just said, "You're more polite about your target practice than I am."

His lips quirked. "And you're more tolerant than I thought you'd be," he admitted, studying her. The banging from behind him stopped, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Kae attempting to balance one pan on top of another. It wasn't as interesting as trying to figure out Astronema.

"So why do you care whether I like you or not?" he wanted to know, turning around again. "You don't even remember me."

She frowned at that. "I don't care. I was just curious."

"Uh-huh." He considered her for a moment, then offered, "Let me tell you what I remember. I remember an Astronema who was so confident in her power that she didn't dare have any friends, so she disguised herself as Kerone and started wandering around the planet she was supposed to be invading. I remember a normal teenage girl, who liked clouds and swings and the stars at night, and turned out to be the princess of evil on a ship that could have torn that planet apart."

Her frown deepened, and she was giving him a disdainful look. He kept his expression neutral as he continued, "But it didn't. And you know what I remember her telling me later?"

She wasn't going to ask, but he hadn't really expected her to. "That it was the fact they cared that made the people on that planet different from the people she knew on her ship," Zhane told her. "It wasn't whether they were good or evil themselves--it was the fact that they cared which was which."

"So I suppose you think that's what makes me evil," she said, a sneer making itself at home on her face. "The fact that I said I don't care."

"No." Zhane met her gaze without flinching. "It's just what makes you the same as everyone else on the Dark Fortress."

He hadn't noticed the quiet from behind him until a loud crash made him look back. Kae was unperturbed by the noise, and seemed to be gathering up the scattered items with a mission in mind. The foundation of whatever he had built still stood, and as Zhane watched, he began to patiently add things to the structure again.

Zhane watched in bemusement for a few moments, ultimately concluding that they needed to get that child some blocks. He had figured the chance to make noise and disorganize everything in sight would keep Kae busy, but apparently it took less than that. The kid needed some toys.

When he turned around he found himself face to face with one of Astronema's glowing palm grenades. He recognized it immediately, and maybe it should have scared him but he couldn't work up a proper respect. "Gonna blow me up to prove me right?"

Ironically, she actually looked less threatening than before, but somehow he didn't think that was what she was going for. "You're playing a dangerous game," she said quietly. He could hear her over the clatter in the background, but the effect was present nonetheless.

"Well," he remarked, "my life's been fairly boring lately. Maybe I'm looking for a little risk."

For the first time, she smiled. It wasn't a friendly look, but it wasn't a deadly one either. The palm grenade vanished like it had never existed. She lowered her hand and placed it on the counter, not taking her eyes off of him. "There are other ways to find excitement."

"If you have a suggestion," Zhane countered, "I'm listening."

His digimorpher beeped and DECA's hologram reappeared simultaneously. "My scanners are no longer detecting Andros' and Ashley's Power signatures," she told him. "Three velocifighter wings have appeared over Sai Kung."

"Is this you?" Zhane asked, holding up his digimorpher. When she nodded, he ignored it. "You're not detecting their Power signatures where? Did they leave Sai Kung?" The two of them had gone to investigate the new strain of abersiia less than an hour ago.

"I'm not detecting them anywhere on the planet," DECA clarified. "Or anywhere within immediate detection range of my scanners. If they left of their own accord, they did not notify me of their plans in advance."

His digimorpher beeped again, and DECA nodded to it. "That's Ty."

"Yeah," he said, flipping his digimorpher open. "You in the air?"

"I'm on my way," Ty answered. "DECA says she can't reach Andros or Ashley."

"Yeah, I know. Tell Marsie to fly her wings independently, standard planetary defense, tell her not to engage the velocifighters until they threaten the atmosphere. Do not go out to meet them, got it?"

"Got it," Ty's voice replied. "What about the zords?"

"You're the front line," Zhane told him. "Hold it."

He changed call codes without waiting for an answer. "Karen," he said, looking up to catch DECA's nod. "I need you in the air, DECA can give you coordinates. There are velocifighters in the system and we're missing three Rangers."

"You got it," she answered without hesitation.

He snapped his digimorpher shut and turned to Astronema. "Can you fly?"

She stared at him in total non-comprehension.

"A zord," he said impatiently. "Can you fly a zord?" He didn't see how she could; it had taken Kerone days to learn. But it couldn't hurt to ask.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Maybe with a morpher," she said, as though he was joking. "That's how Rangers learn, right? There's no pilot school for zords."

"Kerone can't use a morpher." He stopped, catching hold of the idea just before his brain would have dismissed it. "Can you? Are you human?"

She gave him a disgusted look, but her words were magic. "Of course I'm human. Do I look like a quantron to you?"

"Zip," he said, opening his morpher again. "Want to take Astronema into space for me? She promises to treat you just like Kerone would."

An odd mechanical whine was his only answer, and he realized his mistake. "Just like Astrea would," he amended. "Okay? She's from another dimension, but she doesn't like velocifighters either and she wants to help us get rid of them. I'm gonna go with Magic, but Astronema needs a morpher to understand you."

This time there was silence, and he took that for assent. "Be nice to him," he said, handing his morpher to Astronema. "DECA--"

A crash from behind him made him wince. "Can you keep an eye on Kae?"

"I can not control his physical environment here on KO-35," the hologram reminded him. "If he touches something not connected to the main system I will--"

"Yeah, okay, take him to the Megaship," Zhane interrupted, talking over her. "Thanks. And send us to the zords."

"Did you just send a child to a battleship in the middle of a battle?"

Astronema's voice sounded strange over the Megaship's comm system. It was partly the distortion that apparently only DECA could detect, since the Rangers all praised the zord network for its clarity, and partly the fact that she sounded just enough like Kerone to make the differences glaringly obvious. Partly, too, it might have had something to do with her emotive quality, which was somewhere between confused and respectful--an unusual combination.

"Try to think of it like this," Zhane's voice answered. He, at least, sounded exactly the same as always. "I sent a child away from a planet under attack. Nowhere is safe, Astronema."

While that was arguably true, DECA would have preferred an actual pilot to the small child for whom she now found herself responsible. She had plenty of information on child care, development, and raising at her disposal, but she had very little firsthand experience. She was designed to fight, not to babysit.

Her service was to the Rangers, though, in whatever capacity they chose. They had Power-enhanced flight and artillery without her, and they had chosen to use it in her place. Her service was now secondarily to Kae until such time as one of the Rangers released her from that duty.

She manifested the same hologram she had used to communicate with Andros and Zhane when they were younger--and used again now, at Kerone's request. Kae didn't look surprised to see her, but then, he had seen her avatar many times in the hangar. He just stared silently up at the hologram's face.

"Hello, Kae," she said. Previous experience indicated that he was unlikely to reply. "Welcome aboard the Astro Megaship."

He continued to look at her. Wide blue eyes in a too-young face... she estimated his age slightly higher than the Rangers did, based on his decision-making ability rather than his appearance. She thought he was more aware of what went on around him than was immediately evident.

"Do you understand what's happening?" she asked him. Child psychology suggested that children were more amenable when an effort was made to explain the situation in terms to which they could relate.

Kae blinked at her. "Yes," he said quietly.

She had heard him vocalize only three words prior to this, and "yes" hadn't been one of them. The fact that the word was an appropriate response to her question only made it more noteworthy. "Then you know you're safe here," she told him. "Zhane will return soon, and when he does you may go back to the hangar."

He stared at her, his face blank. He could be thinking about what she had said, or he could be so far from truly understanding that her reassurance meant nothing to him. After a moment, though, he opened his mouth again. His voice was just as soft as before. "Where's Kerone?"

A fifth word she had never before heard from him--and the first full sentence. "There are two Kerones," she told him. "Do you recognize the difference?"

She expected no response. The concept of alternate dimensions and doppelgangers was not one easily grasped by a child whose life to this point had probably involved very little education. At the most, she thought he might reply "yes" or "no."

"One saved me," he said, very quietly. "Before. She's..." He hesitated before concluding, "She's back."

"That's right," DECA agreed. That was not only a relatively sophisticated concept, but also a distinction she hadn't expected him to make. "The first Kerone was from another dimension. She saved you and brought you here, to the hangar, in this dimension. The second Kerone has been taking care of you here, while the first one went back where you came from."

She paused, attempting to assess his comprehension level. Kae spoke without prompting this time. "She's back," he repeated.

"Yes. She's back," DECA confirmed. "She's helping the Rangers defend this planet from velocifighters. Would you like to watch?"

Kae still didn't move, and she wondered if he knew how to nod or shake his head. "Yes," he said, in his unusually soft voice.

She put the tactical display up on the main screen. Her hologram turned to look at it when Kae just continued to stare at her, and he followed her gaze. He considered the color-coded images for a long moment before whispering something that a human might not have overheard. "It's flat."

Flat. Two-dimensional? All the screens were two-dimensional. But the weapons station had an interactive three-dimensional program that could be projected anywhere on the Bridge. It was possible that he processed visual data better in 3D, though that particular characteristic would make him unique among the Rangers.

"Would you prefer a hologram?" she inquired. She projected the tactical grid into the empty space beside him, not expecting him to know what she meant without seeing an example of it for himself.

He reacted immediately. Lashing out at the insubstantial image, he swung his arms in a violent choppy motion that made her reassess his potential to injure himself. She monitored his movements as a matter of course. He was responding only to the holographic visual in front of him and his reaction was confined to that area.

His reaction wasn't uncontrolled. It was confined to a specific area, and it wasn't aimless flailing... he was pointing. Kae was pointing at velocifighters, sometimes as little as a fraction of a second before they were destroyed. They were all destroyed, though, every one that he pointed at--except for one that slid through the PD wing to score a damaging hit on one of the fighters.

She registered Kae pointing at the velocifighter three separate times before it was finally obliterated. It was the first time since he had arrived on the Megaship that she had seen an expression on his face: frustration. Though she could come up with no justification for the phenomenon, he seemed to expect that the ships he pointed at would vanish from the tactical grid.

"Kae," she asked at last. "What is the purpose of your action?"

His concentration didn't waver, but his quiet voice replied fiercely, "Red is bad."

Enemy fighters were typically represented by orange. As they were the closest thing to red on the tactical screen, however, and also happened to be the symbols drawing all of his attention, she concluded that they were the subject of his statement. "Did someone teach you to use a tactical readout to manipulate weapons?"

He didn't answer. It was possible he was distracted. It was also possible that he just didn't understand.

She tried again. "Kae, who taught you to do what you're doing now?" He was shooting down enemy fighters; there was no doubt that his actions corresponded with that outcome. Or at least, that they would, if he actually had any control over the tactical simulation.

"Ship," he said. That was all. She monitored his verbal output as thoroughly as she observed his physiological cues, and he had only verbalized the one word. It seemed to be an involuntary exclamation, possibly related to his actions, except that he hadn't made any others. She had to consider that it might in fact be a reply to what she had asked.

Could the ship he was on have had an AI? Would he understand the question if she asked? The wreckage of the ship that had carried him and Astronema to this dimension had been salvaged, and there had been no mention of an AI. Perhaps that was not the "ship" to which he referred. He could have been transferred multiple times, or trained in some entirely alternate fashion.

Watching him, though, there was no doubt that he had been trained. And he seemed more responsive to her than he had to any of the Rangers. He might be able to clarify the mystery upon further questioning. Mysteries were no substitute for battle, but the boy had been entrusted to her care and she would fulfill her responsibility.

Kae poked another velocifighter for the second time when the PD failed to respond as quickly as he had. She wondered at his expression. Maybe she wasn't the only one feeling helpless after all.

One second they were inside the health center, and the next second they were surrounded by rubble. The transition was jarring but immediate, no actual noise, force, or destruction to cause the change from one environment to the other. They might as well have teleported without warning--and Ashley remembered this sensation.

Then Andros was pulling her down, and she ducked into hiding beside him just as the metallic whine of quantron speech registered. "JT's dimension?" she whispered. She stared around at as much as she could see of the rubble that shielded them, trying to get an idea of where the next threat might come from.

"Felt like it," Andros whispered back. He, too, was scanning the ruins. "Looks like it, too."

Looks like I imagine it, he meant. Neither of them had seen JT's KO-35, and from what Ashley knew of it, they should be glad. It was a slave planet in his dimension, being ground through the machinery of Dark Spectre's invasion. The Free Systems' territory didn't reach anywhere near the League's former border.

"Can you talk to Kerone?" Ashley murmured, checking for her morpher. She had it, but she wasn't sure how well it would work here. Every other time they'd come, their Power had been switched with that of their counterparts in this dimension.

She saw Andros reach for his morpher too before he caught her eye. "If we're wrong, she might be Astronema," he pointed out. "I'm not sure we should take that chance."

"Zhane?" she suggested instead. Holding up her morpher, she added, "DECA? No," she corrected, before he could say it. "Even a morpher signal might be traced."

He nodded. "I'll try to reach Zhane."

She could hear him, which he must have intended. They'd all gotten better at telepathic direction since they realized Kerone could hear everything they thought. Zhane didn't reply right away, though, and they exchanged glances. The thought flickered through Ashley's mind that if Zhane didn't answer, they were more alone than she'd been in a long time.

Voices made her turn just as the Silver Ranger's familiar greeting echoed in Andros' mind, and she heard it only because she was so close. She held her breath as passersby came within frightening range of their hiding place. The Power hummed through her instinctively, and she didn't question the slingshot that appeared in her hand. Not her current weapon. But not unknown, either.

She didn't listen to Andros and Zhane, finding it disturbingly easy to block their presence out of her mind entirely. Instead she concentrated on the troops parading by with what looked like a group of prisoners. Future slaves, she wondered? Current slaves, maybe? Slave transfers?

A weapons' discharge made her flinch, close to ducking down but not quite willing to give up her view. Her fingers tightened on her slingshot as she watched the prisoner line dissolve into chaos. More weapons opened fire, from the other side of the street and at least one from behind the column of soldiers.

If she had been alone, she wouldn't have hesitated. She knew she shouldn't jump into a fight she didn't understand, and she knew perfectly well that it could be suicidal to choose sides in a conflict she knew nothing about. But she knew what it looked like, she knew what the Power wanted her to do, and if Andros hadn't been with her she would have turned her slingshot on those troops without a second thought.

But Andros was with her, and he was distracted and defenseless for as long as his thoughts were somewhere else. So she held her fire until she saw one of the prisoners take a blow to the head as an energy weapon swung around to target another. That was too much for the Power to take, too much for her to sit by and passively watch. She went up on her knees, braced her elbows on the concrete barricade in front of her, and knocked the soldier away in a shower of sparks from her Star Slinger.

After that the safest thing to do was to keep shooting, because she wasn't going to give the troops any more time than they could carve for themselves to pinpoint her location. She was more careful than usual with her aim. It wasn't just the prisoners she had to avoid, after all, it was whoever was hidden on the other side of the street.

Andros' sabre joined hers a moment later. Not a distance weapon under normal circumstances, but he had always been able to manipulate the Power into doing things no one else would believe. She didn't dare look over at him. Between them, they managed to keep up a calculated barrage that created an effective crossfire.

The ambush did its job. In the moments between the fall of the final soldier and the reaction of the prisoners' saviors, Andros reached out and nudged her with his elbow. "Guardian angel syndrome?" he muttered, his voice low in contrast to the high pitched whine of weapons that was still ringing in her ears.

"Like you've never done it," she murmured in return. "Zhane?"

"Surprised," he said succinctly. "We are in JT's dimension, but so are his Andros and Ashley. They didn't switch. Kerone's here; she says we're right on the edge of an incipient Border mutiny."

"Nice timing." She half meant it.

Andros snorted. "Yeah," he said, and she knew he didn't mean it at all. "Just our luck."

The prisoners were staggering free now, those of them that could move, or coordinate enough with each other to free themselves. Reluctantly, warily, several ragtag rescuers were appearing from across the street. They were eyeing their surroundings nervously. They must know as well as Ashley did that there shouldn't have been anyone on the other side of the street, let alone someone with weapons who would help them.

"Do we show ourselves?" Ashley asked quietly.

Andros gave her the Look. "Just because they shot at slavers doesn't mean they won't shoot us too."

A faint crunch was the only warning they had, and not nearly enough. "Hands in the air," a harsh voice instructed. The order reached them mid-turn and neither of them stopped.

Two Power-enhanced weapons squared off against three ordinary blasters. Before either of them could say anything, though, the man in front lifted his weapon in surrender. Her first fleeting thought was that he recognized their uniforms, but of course he wouldn't. Only the Astro Rangers had defended KO-35 in this dimension.

He did recognize something else, though.

"Andros!"

It came out somewhere between an exclamation and a prayer, and it prompted the other two people with him to point their weapons skyward as well. "Ranger Andros," the man repeated, more respectfully.

"That's right." Andros caught her eye and nodded, and they lowered their weapons at the same time. "This is Ranger Ashley."

"Hi," Ashley offered, careful to keep her smile brief and restrained. These weren't conditions to smile about.

"This is more than we could have expected." One of the people behind the man who had recognized Andros spoke for the first time. "For the Rangers to have returned... now we know our cause will be successful."

Ashley glanced around, a little unnerved by the attention they were starting to draw. She didn't expect to see open agreement on the others' faces. When she looked at Andros, though, he showed no expression. He spoke again as though he hadn't even heard the words.

"We're on our way to rendezvous with Kerone," he told them. "Is everyone here safe?"

It might not have been the best thing to say, since she was pretty sure Kerone had been the Yellow Ranger and here Ashley was, clearly representing Yellow. From somewhere, she heard a shocked murmur. "Kerone survived?"

Andros didn't deign to answer. He kept his eyes on the man who had spoken to them first, waiting. The man finally seemed to realize it.

"We're safer than we were ten minutes ago. Everyone who can carry a weapon is to converge at the skyport--we'll seize it or die trying. Word of your return will bring new life to our people."

Spreading the word seemed like a phenomenally bad idea to Ashley, but Andros only nodded. "You'll have help at the skyport if we can spare it," he told them. "Go. And may the Power protect you."

The first hint of a smile cracked the man's careworn expression. "It already has, Ranger Andros. It already has."

"How am I supposed to tell the difference between rebels and non?" Kerone demanded, torn between amusement at her brother's audacity and irritation with his expectation of--well, if not the impossible, then at least the highly improbable. "Quantrons don't have that kind of adaptability! Most of the time I'm lucky if they remember how to fly and shoot at the same time, let alone asking them to choose their own targets!"

Andros didn't seem worried. "Your magic quantrons can tell the difference between people who are loyal to you and people who aren't. That's pretty subtle."

"Yes, they can tell the difference," she agreed, exasperated. "Because I tell them the difference. They don't decide for themselves. The magic override countermands any orders but mine."

"So tell them to shoot at ground-based quantrons," Andros said with a shrug. "What's so hard about that?"

"The hard part is that the two skyports nearest Sai Kung are already under my control," Kerone snapped. "I'm not going to open fire on my own soldiers, and if you don't know which one your rebels are going to then I'm not going to risk letting unknown insurgents in!"

That finally shut Andros up. She looked over at Ashley in the pause. She had teleported them both off of KO-35 as soon as Andros gave the word, but keeping them out of the way here on the Dark Fortress might prove to be the bigger problem. Ashley, at least, could come and go as she pleased. Her counterpart had relative freedom as a known spy for Astronema.

Andros, on the other hand, couldn't be passed off as anything but a Red Ranger serving at least two distinct enemy forces. She'd really like to send him back to KO-35, where maybe he could do some good... but at the same time, she wanted him here where she could keep any eye on him. That was the difference between being a tactical leader and a sister, she thought with a sigh. Sometimes she wondered how Andros did it.

"The Ranger logo," Andros said suddenly. "The Astro Rangers' symbol; everyone will recognize that. Fly it over your skyports."

She stared at him, but he didn't look like he was waiting to deliver a punchline. "Are you out of your mind?"

Andros' mouth quirked upward at the corners. "That's not really relevant, is it?"

"You want to flaunt the Ranger logo in the middle of occupied space?" Kerone demanded incredulously. "This is a mutiny, Andros, not a declaration of independence! We're not trying to create targets here!"

"You said you could take KO-35 back," Andros pointed out. "Can you or can't you?"

"I can," Kerone snapped. "But I'm not going to advertise it before the fact!"

"Why not?" Andros retorted, equally intent. "You're not working alone here, Kerone. There's an entire population down there that's just been waiting for their chance to throw this occupation back in Dark Spectre's face. You don't have to fight them, too... you can use them. Declare yourself. Let them help. Because they will."

"I think you have too much faith in people that have been enslaved," Kerone informed him. "They're not going to trust anything Astronema tells them."

"They don't have to trust Astronema," Andros shot back. "They trust the Rangers. They've seen their Rangers down there on the surface--they'll trust the stories, and the Power, and any flag that flies with the Ranger logo on it."

"Yeah, about that," Ashley interrupted, turning away from the window in Astronema's private quarters. "Why did you let them think the Rangers are back?"

Andros gave her a bemused look, like the answer was so obvious that she must be asking something else. It might have made Kerone smile if she wasn't so distracted by the idea of pretending a Ranger presence on a world that hadn't seen Power Rangers in more than two years. The idea would never have occurred to her. Not for the first time, she wondered how Andros hid that kind of deviousness from the rest of the world.

"They're not back," Ashley told him, before Andros could contradict her. "We are, and we don't even know how we got here or how long it's going to last."

"The ID portal," Andros said, flicking his gaze in her direction. "It wasn't JT; it must have been some kind of portal malfunction."

"I don't think it malfunctions quite like that." Kerone frowned, but she knew less than her counterpart about how the velocifighter ID portal worked. "It requires a code to operate, no matter which side you're coming from. It doesn't make sense that it would just randomly snatch people up."

"No," Ashley said with a rueful smile, "but if it was going to pick people at random, you have to admit the odds are good that it would be us."

"From a distance?" Kerone said skeptically, sparing only a brief smile for Ashley's remark. "The velocifighters have to physically pass through the portal, and it's in space. There's no way you could have triggered it from the ground."

"But if we did," Andros insisted. "That would explain the hallucinations people have been seeing. It's not the abersiia virus at all; they're seeing flashes of this other dimension."

"Which would explain why they all say they saw basically the same thing," Ashley said with a sigh. She didn't sound surprised by the idea, which meant they had probably talked about it before. "But that's the only thing it explains. If they saw flashes, why are we... well, stuck here? If we are stuck here?"

An angry buzz came from the vicinity of the door, and Kerone caught Andros' eye. "Don't move," she warned him. With a wave of her hand, he vanished from their sight. She glanced at Ashley, then shook her head. "Trust me."

Violet sparkles swirled around Ashley, leaving her in a close-fitting black uniform that would probably get Andros' attention better than the invisibility. It was the same thing her counterpart had worn, when she came from the Free Systems to deliver Andros' locket to Astronema. Or at least, it was what she had been wearing when Kerone and Ty came to rescue her.

"Come in," Kerone called, affecting the most bored tone she could manage.

The door slid open, and Ecliptor took a single step inside. He bowed first, gave Ashley an obviously suspicious look, and then directed his attention to her again. "My princess."

"Ecliptor," she replied, swinging her hair over her shoulder as she got to her feet. "What news do you have from KO-35?"

"Most of the orbital stations have been secured," he ground out. "Two were destroyed in the fighting, and one was damaged so severely that vital areas are open to the vacuum of space. All operational stations are under our control."

"And the skyports?" she demanded impatiently. Taking the stations had been far more important, but it was never wise to let lackeys get complacent.

"Ninety-two of the hundred and sixty-three working skyports are secure," Ecliptor reported. "Unfortunately, we are encountering resistance from more than foreign monarchy forces. Some of the workers have seized the opportunity to rebel, and they present a significant obstacle in some ports."

"Yes," Kerone agreed. With a haughty shrug, she declared, "I have thought of a solution to that problem. We will raise the flag of this planet's own defense force above the secure skyports.

"The... Power Rangers," she clarified, with feigned distaste. "Whatever name they go by here. Make their symbol visible, and the remaining population will fall into line."

Ecliptor's hesitation was barely noticeable. "Yes, my princess. It will be done."

"In fact--" She continued as though he hadn't spoken. "I will send Aisling down to the surface herself. Disguised as one of their precious Power Rangers. Perhaps even a Red Ranger," she said gleefully. "Yes! I'll transform your costume myself!"

She threw a glance in Ecliptor's direction, offhandedly, as though she had just remembered he was there. "You may go, Ecliptor. I want to know when all the skyports are under our control."

He bowed immediately. "Yes, my princess," he agreed, turning his back on her long enough to open the door. She approved of her people turning their backs when necessary. It made them vulnerable--and she made sure they knew there was nothing they could do to change that.

When the door closed, she waved in Andros' direction idly. He reappeared, looking more relaxed than she had expected after that little show. He was even smiling slightly. When Ashley gave him a questioning look, presumably for his expression, he shrugged.

"You can take the girl out of the Dark Fortress," Andros quipped, shooting her an amused glance as he leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. "You just can't take the Dark Fortress out of the girl."

She sat down again on the stool next to her private comm terminal, shaking her head playfully. There were bells in her violet curls today, and they chimed softly when she agitated them. "For which you can thank me later," she informed Andros. "In the meantime, I think you'd both be more useful on KO-35 than here. Unless you want me to just send you home."

"Home?" Ashley repeated, but then she got it. "The ID portal."

Kerone shrugged. "I can put you on a ship and send you through, and you'd end up practically in orbit around KO-35. Our KO-35."

Andros and Ashley exchanged glances. They both looked a little startled, which she found funny until Andros demanded, "If it's that easy, why don't you and Astronema just switch places?"

She gave him her best imitation of his Look. "Because it's only that easy if one of us is on the Dark Fortress to order it. Someone has to open the portal, and I don't trust anyone here to do it in my place."

"Except Ecliptor," Ashley suggested. "Astronema trusted him to open it for her after she brought us Kae."

"She trusted him once," Kerone said bluntly. "I don't know why, and I'm not going to push her luck by doing it again. I'm staying here until I find someone I do trust or get sent back by whatever brought me, whichever comes first."

Andros was frowning. "Look, we're not going to leave you here without backup. If you're staying, we're staying too."

"And if I disappear back to our own dimension as suddenly as I appeared here, you'll be in a lot more trouble than I'd be in without you," Kerone reminded him. "I can protect you. Astronema won't even know you're here."

"Oh, I think she will," Andros said wryly. "If you send us down to the surface to rally the troops, everyone's going to know we're here. We'll get some protection just from being visible. And if you disappear, I can still contact JT through Zhane. We'll be able to get a message to you guys.

"We'll probably be able to talk to Astronema, even," he added as an afterthought. "If you can talk to the Andros in this dimension, there's no reason I can't do the same with this dimension's Astronema."

"You can," Kerone pointed out. "Ashley can't."

Andros drew in a breath and stopped. He just stared at her for a long moment. When he turned to look at Ashley, she shook her head. "No. Don't even think about it. I'm not going anywhere you aren't."

"Ash," he began.

"Don't pretend this if for my own good," she snapped. "Sending me back will make you two feel better, but it won't do anyone else any good--including me. My counterpart is Astronema's spy, remember? Nobody's going to touch me.

"And," she added, emphasizing the word irritably when Kerone and Andros exchanged glances. "I may not be able to think to her, but she can think to me. Tell JT to send her a message. Tell her I'm here in case she gets switched. She'll watch out for me if she has to."

"You don't know that," Kerone said quietly.

"I believe it." Ashley's voice was firm. "She's a good person. We're friends, even here, and she will protect me."

This time when Kerone looked to Andros he held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Fine. It's your decision."

That marked the first time Kerone had ever heard her brother say those words in that order. She kept the observation to herself. She only hoped, when she magicked both their uniforms and sent them back to KO-35, that he wouldn't have reason to regret it.

What was it that made Andros magic?

It was a fanciful question, perhaps, but Saryn thought the sentiment deserved serious consideration. Why did people follow him? How did he gamble anything at hand on a nebulous future that had no reason to bow to his will--and win? And maybe most importantly, what was it that drew people and circumstances into their most desirable configuration in his presence?

One of his Rangers had flown into Astronema's stronghold and survived. Not only survived, but returned, with invaluable intelligence. Half of his team had maintained contact with a planet so overrun by evil that no news of it came through official channels. That planet was currently conspiring with another planet, also unreachable by anyone but the Astro Rangers, to establish a Free Systems foothold deep in monarchy territory.

Andros himself was in contact with yet another traitorous faction of Dark Spectre's forces, a faction that might yet prove to be led by a one of Andros' former teammates. A former teammate who had offered to deliver the entire Border to the Free Systems, for a price as yet unstated. And as unlikely as it seemed, here was Andros, reporting that the mutiny promised by Astronema was now in progress... and incredibly, gaining ground.

Saryn was standing on a promenade overlooking one of the Great Halls, watching Andros' announcement broadcast through the public concourse. It was a spontaneous, overwhelmingly dizzy feeling to be in the middle of such a crowd at a moment like this... and he had done it deliberately. There were times when he couldn't remember what it was like to feel this way, to feel anything at all other than dogged determination.

He couldn't even feel Cassandra coming through the spinning sensation of delight and astonishment and hope. He recognized her as soon as she pressed her hand against his arm, though, and his senses focused on her instantly. Her voice was muffled when she said his name, as if he was hearing it from a distance.

He tried to turn and look at her, but the movement threw off his precarious equilibrium and he gripped the railing harder. He felt her fingers tighten, knew she had seen his balance waver, and he couldn't find the words to cut through the secondhand exhilaration in his mind. He wanted to laugh, to shout out to everyone around him, to give voice to the feelings that surged within him.

He would keep it in. He had to, he was still Saryn in the face of the elated rush that buoyed his spirit like nothing else. He could soar on the tide of other people's joy, but he could never let them know it.

Cassandra's concern was starting to penetrate the light. Don't you feel it? he wanted to ask. Don't you see how this has carried us away from where we are? All the way to the place where hope exists?

"I feel it." Cassandra's voice whispered at the edge of his awareness, though he thought that perhaps she was speaking more loudly than usual. "I feel you. I worry when you won't talk to me."

"Don't worry," he mumbled. He was surprised to hear his voice, and it brought him back to himself abruptly. He kept his hands on the railing as he turned his head toward her. "Cassandra?"

Her eyes searched his face, looking for... something. "Are you all right?"

"I am well," he assured her, and he felt a smile threaten. She must have seen it too, because her face lightened noticeably and she smiled back. "It's--" He gestured all around them. "This is amazing news."

Her smiled remained, but she was studying him closely. "I don't think I've ever heard you use the word 'amazing'," she mused. "And of course it is, but... you already knew, all this. You know more about what's going on than anyone here."

"I don't feel it the way they do," he said softly.

Her scrutiny didn't abate, nor did it make him uncomfortable. It was almost a relief to hear her ponder his true meaning aloud. "But you do," she decided at last. "That's why you didn't answer, isn't it? Are you here on purpose?"

He couldn't keep from smiling at her. He lifted one hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "Sometimes I think it is wrong," he murmured. "No one gave me permission to enjoy their happiness."

For some reason, that made her laugh, a quiet breathy sound that made his smile widen. She was never more beautiful than when she was happy. "We're all celebrating," she reminded him. "You don't need permission to enjoy that.

"A smile isn't just for the person who's smiling," Cassandra added, lifting her hand to cover his fingers with hers. "It's for all the people who see the smile too. We all see people's sadness and their happiness on their faces, with our eyes. You feel it. There's nothing wrong with that."

Not when I'm with you, he thought, running his thumb across her cheekbone. Her concern was fading, and her secret hope was sweeter than anything he had felt from the anonymous faces around him. It was a rare moment when his empathy turned out to be a pleasure rather than a distraction. This was such a moment.

"Do you want to stay here longer?" she whispered, holding his hand in place and turning her head slightly to kiss his fingers. "I don't want to take you away from your happiness."

But she had been looking for him. He could hear it in what she didn't say, and now that he was paying attention he could sense the bittersweet delight lurking behind the smile she shared with him. "I would always choose your happiness above theirs," he murmured.

She kissed his fingers again and then let go of his hand, and her smile as she looked up at him was dazzling. "I have baby pictures," she said, in a voice that was very close to singsong. "Want to see?"

Her secretly pleased expression made him chuckle. "Need you ask?"

Cassandra took his hand again as they made their way across the promenade, anchoring him in the swirling emotion. He gave silent thanks for whatever whim of fate had brought them to this day of light in the midst of so much darkness. Nothing was perfect... but maybe, just maybe, more things were possible than he had dared to dream.

11. Voice of Dissent

"Shane Clarke." He didn't even try to shake her hand, just nodded once and in a surprisingly authoritative way. He didn't look timid or worried--maybe a little wary, but mostly just like he was biding his time. Like this was his planet, and he knew it. And he hadn't given up on it.

"Tori Hanson." The girl standing next to him just lifted her chin a little, a defiant gesture that could get someone as pretty as her into trouble faster than anything she could say. She didn't even seem aware that she was doing it.

There was a brief pause, and then the third kid seemed to realize that he was the only one left. "Oh, uh, Dustin Brooks." He glanced at his friends, then broke into a wide grin as he caught her eye again. "This is like, totally amazing! I can't believe I'm actually meeting a Power Ranger!"

Ashley flashed a smile in his direction, then gave Gabe a bemused look. "Who are they?" she repeated, feeling no more enlightened than she had been before they introduced themselves.

"Blake picked them up downtown," he said, sounding a little apologetic. "He thinks they have ninja potential. Hunter's going to check them out, make sure, but he's not back yet..." He trailed off with a shrug.

"And I'm here," Ashley finished for him. She gave the computer terminal currently displaying zord specs a last look, hoping she had committed enough of them to memory that she would be able to fly. "Okay. That's fair. What do you need me to do, exactly?"

"Fill them in," Gabe told her. "Blake told them there's a resistance and they're being recruited." He stopped there, and after a moment she stopped staring at him expectantly and switched to outright astonishment.

"That's it?" Ashley gave the kids an incredulous look. "And you believed him?"

"Well, Tori did." The one who was excited about meeting a Power Ranger didn't seem to be their spokesperson so much as he was just the one who couldn't keep his mouth shut. "We just came along 'cause she wouldn't listen to us and we did kind of promise to keep her safe."

"Dustin," the girl hissed.

"C'mon, Tor," the other boy said under his breath. He had folded his arms, but he turned toward her just enough to nudge her with his shoulder, all while staring straight ahead. "You got suckered by a pretty face. Admit it."

"I did not," she snapped. "I happen to believe in this, and last I knew, you guys did too."

"How much do I tell them?" Ashley wanted to know. "What if Hunter takes one look at them and says his brother's wrong? What then?" And how did Hunter know, anyway? She added that to the long list of private questions to which she didn't consider getting answers likely.

"He won't," Gabe answered. "Blake's never been wrong before. None of us asked for a second opinion. He wanted one, though, since if he's wrong, we're all screwed."

"Excuse me?" The girl definitely had attitude. "Wrong about what, exactly?"

"You want me to explain what ninjas are?" Ashley asked Gabe, with what she felt was a totally justifiable amount of skepticism.

He only grinned at her. "Do your best," he advised, clapping her on the shoulder before turning to walk away. He didn't give the kids a second glance.

She stared after him for a second before turning to look at the kids again. "How old are you?" she asked at last.

"Fifteen," the girl said, folding her arms.

"Sixteen," said the boy next to her.

Shane just stared back at Ashley. "What does it matter?"

She felt a smile threaten in spite of herself. The same age she had been when she first picked up a morpher. "It doesn't," she admitted. "Let me show you what you're going to be working with, at least."

Taking them on a tour was the fastest way to explain everything she didn't understand herself. Or, if not to explain it, then to give them an impression better than what she could convey in words. Ashley told them what she knew, and she was honest about what she didn't. This wasn't her operation, she told them. She was just here to share information and reinforce the existing resistance.

They were up on one of the catwalks when Hunter arrived. His sudden presence was made more obvious by the fact that no one teleported into this facility. They could, as Ashley understood it. But they didn't. Because in order to do it the ninja in question would have to bypass almost every security measure they had, and that set off too many alarms to count.

Hunter set off too many alarms to count. He appeared in the middle of the floor below, the streak of black that trailed behind vanishing as he collapsed. The shouting was directionless, but people began to rush toward him immediately. Ashley's brain noted that the ninjas must consider the situation safe even as her feet carried her toward the nearest stairs.

He was surrounded by the time she got there, but he was awake and snarling--holding people back with the sheer force of his irritation, Ashley thought. Bleeding, yes, but breathing too, not unconscious, not fatally injured, and those were all good signs. Only as she slowed down did she realize the kids had followed her.

"What's going on?" Cam's voice demanded, wiping the thought from her mind. He was easy to hear, even over the sound of the alarms. "Either tell me what happened or get out of the way!"

"Sorry." Hunter sounded genuinely chagrinned, the irritation melting away as the people separating him from Cam fell back. "I wasn't thinking about the alert system."

Cam didn't even flinch as he caught sight of Hunter. It was like he'd expected it somehow, like he'd known who it would be at the center of the crowd before he even got there. "Are you all right?" he demanded. "What happened? Can you walk? I'm two seconds from calling for a stretcher, just so you know."

"I can walk," Hunter muttered, staring up at him. He was pale, too pale, even for his complexion, and Ashley didn't like the way he was breathing all of a sudden. "Turn off the alarms. I'm fine. I screwed up, is all."

Cam glanced around at the people gathered there, and his eyes lit on someone Ashley didn't recognize. "Get those alarms off," he said. His gaze flicked to the next person in line, and he added, "Get a stretcher."

"I'm fine," Hunter repeated. He lifted a hand, and Cam reached down to clasp it automatically. Hunter stumbled as he was pulled to his feet. Ashley knew what was going to happen before he lost his balance completely and she and Cam ended up supporting his unconscious frame between them.

Go or stay, she asked Cam silently? They wouldn't be able to carry him easily; he was taller than either of them and he was a lot heavier than his "pretty boy" clothes made him look. But she knew how hard it was to let go of an injured teammate, logic or not.

"Stretcher," Cam said curtly. As they lowered Hunter to the ground, she heard him say to someone else, "Tell Blake."

Hunter was conscious again before the stretcher got to the room they were using as a makeshift infirmary. He grumbled the whole way. Cam stopped everyone at the door and told them to go away. Hunter overruled him, though, and she saw Cam's jaw clench.

"Those're the ninja kids Blake found, right?" How he could tell, Ashley had no idea. "Let 'em come in. They need those morphers like, yesterday."

She blinked at the sudden slang, but it made Cam step away from the door reluctantly. The kids filed in, and Hunter waved the stretcher carriers away like he was shooing flies. "Come on, come on, let me do my job already."

"Staying alive is the sum total of your job at this point," Cam snapped, which earned him an annoyed look from Hunter.

"And you," he said, pushing himself up on his elbows for the sole purpose of glaring at Cam. "The stretcher was total overkill. Geez, one little blackout and suddenly I'm helpless!"

"Yes, that's the traditional definition of 'blackout'." Cam was glaring back at him. "Why are you sitting up?"

Because he was, Ashley noted with covert amusement. Hunter had pushed himself into a sitting position while the kids glanced back and forth among themselves. He was watching them, though, not Cam. He was even squinting a little, like he was looking at something just a little too far away or out of focus.

"Water," he said. He obviously wasn't responding to anything any of them had said, and Cam was no longer trying to get his attention. He glanced at the taller boy, his expression not changing.

"Air," Hunter said, after the briefest hesitation. "Weird amount of fire potential, though."

The two of them looked at each other while Hunter transferred his attention to the other boy. Dustin, Ashley remembered. Maybe a little less hardened than the other two, enthusiastic despite everything happening around him, and oddly charming in his ignorance. Hunter looked at him for a long moment.

"Say something," Hunter said at last.

Dustin didn't hesitate. "Dude, are you feeling all right?"

The question provoked a soft snort of amusement from Hunter, and the smile that flickered on his face made his expression soften unexpectedly. "Earth ninja," he muttered, lowering his head and pressing a hand to his forehead. "Definitely an earth ninja."

"Good, fine, you're done," Cam interrupted. "Blake agrees. Can I kick them out now?"

Hunter didn't look up. "They need morphers."

"Bro?" Blake hung on the doorframe for a second, then shouldered his way into the room when he caught sight of Hunter. "You all right?"

Hunter glanced at Blake long enough to nod, then caught Cam's eye. He didn't say anything. Cam looked away first, turning his glare on the kids Hunter had just identified. "Come with me," he said shortly.

"What happened?" Blake looked from Hunter to Ashley, as though she might know something he didn't.

"I took a beating," Hunter muttered. His voice might have been embarrassed or deliberately quiet, to keep it from carrying after the departing ninjas in the hallway. "Nothing serious, just, you know. Fists and... sticks."

That was when she realized he'd meant the "beating" part literally. She studied him more closely, try to assess the damage. Funny they'd so completely missed his head... or was it?

No, she realized, with a sinking sensation in her stomach. It wasn't strange at all. Without having to ask, she suddenly understood that he hadn't been beaten for associating with the resistance. He meant, he'd taken a beating for flaunting his body on the streets. And they hadn't avoided his head--they'd avoided his face. Hard times or not, Hunter was selling sex, and few people were immune to that.

"Take off your shirt," Blake was telling his brother. "I'll help you clean up. You got any serious injuries we should know about?"

"Nah." Despite his words, his usual killer grace was reduced to a painful flinch as he went to raise his arms. "I don't think they broke anything important. Wasn't sure I'd make it in without passing out, though."

"Yeah, they told me the alarms were you," Blake said with a grin that seemed out of place. "Cam's gonna be pissed at you for days."

"When isn't he?" Hunter muttered, finally managing to peel the rest of his shirt away. "I swear he makes up for being good in bed by being an asshole the rest of the time."

"Way too much information," Blake informed him, and Ashley realized suddenly that she was just staring.

"I'm going to, um--" She stopped when Hunter looked over at her, a small smirk on his face that she couldn't interpret. Blake didn't even stop what he was doing. "I'm going to get back to work... unless there's anything I can do?"

Hunter shook his head once, but it was Blake who spoke. "Nah, we're good. Thanks for looking out for my bro," he added, throwing her a smile over his shoulder. The look gave her a glimpse of the charmer he really was when not bowed by the pressure of war.

She couldn't resist smiling back, but Blake's focus was already back on his brother.

So she got almost an hour of uninterrupted study time, and when the zord specs started to get boring she decided to see how far her former Ranger status could get her. She tried to go check out one of the zords. Somewhat to her surprise, they let her, and that was where Leanne found her some time later.

"Ashley?" The red-haired woman appeared on one of her comm screens without warning, and she tried not to start. "Nice ride."

Ashley blinked, then felt a smile spread across her face. "Isn't it, though? Thanks for letting me check it out."

"Not a problem," Leanne said easily. "You want to meet me up on the catwalk for a few minutes?"

She assumed it wasn't so much an invitation as it was an order. "I'm on my way," Ashley told the screen.

The only people on the catwalk above the zord she'd been inside were Cam and Hunter, but Hunter nodded in her direction as soon as she looked up at them. "Leanne's on her way," he called down.

Interesting, she thought, climbing up to join them. Not a personal chat after all, but some kind of informal meeting? Why here? And why her, she wondered?

"You agreed," she heard Hunter saying, as she got close enough to catch their voices over the sound of her footsteps on the metal rigging. "We all agreed; there's no other way to do it."

"I changed my mind," Cam answered, and it was hard to say how much of the annoyance in his tone was directed at Hunter's attitude and how much was directed at Hunter's condition.

The blonde ninja was wearing long sleeves and baggy pants without holes--they were the most concealing clothes she'd ever seen him in, and she didn't like what that said about the state of his body underneath. He was standing awkwardly, almost braced against the catwalk railing but not quite. As though he wanted to look casual, but his limbs weren't completely cooperating.

"Look, you saw those kids," he was telling Cam. "They couldn't shoot a rifle without an instruction manual. They need those morphers or they're dead. And the zords'll be destroyed with them."

Cam's gaze flicked to her as she joined them, and he tipped his head just the slightest bit. From Cam, she decided, it was quite an acknowledgement. He didn't say anything to her, but she didn't expect him to.

"They need the morphers," Cam said. "But they're not Rangers."

A vibration in the catwalk alerted her. Otherwise quiet and almost camouflaged, Leanne didn't step quite lightly enough to go undetected. Neither of her fellow ninjas looked up, though, even when she got close enough to participate in the conversation, which made Ashley wonder how much sooner they had noticed her.

"They don't have to be Rangers," Hunter told Cam, which didn't make any sense to Ashley. "They just have to fight."

"Am I missing something?" she asked, when Cam grimaced. "If they have morphers, then they're Rangers. Of course they'll fight."

"Technology doesn't make someone a hero," Cam said impatiently. "Any more than ninja potential makes someone a ninja. Yes, they'll be able to fight, but they're not exactly the rallying figures we need on the front lines."

"Technology has never made a Ranger," Ashley pointed out, surprised. "The Power does that. If the Power chose them, they'll be whatever you need."

"The Power didn't choose them," Hunter interjected. "We did."

"What made you choose them in particular?" Ashley countered. "Did you just pick them off the street? Doesn't it seem like kind of a coincidence that they just happened to be exactly what you needed, when you needed it?

"The Power does that," she said, when the two of them exchanged unreadable looks. "It finds the people you need, the people who will do the most good in any given situation. Sometimes it's Rangers. Sometimes it's other people, people that help the Rangers somehow--whether they know it or not."

"I don't believe in fate," Hunter informed her.

"You don't have to believe in fate," Ashley replied. "You just have to trust the Power."

"Fine." Cam's tone was curt. "Trust the Power. Take a morpher."

She didn't grasp what he meant at first. But he was looking straight at her, and Hunter and Leanne were following his example. "What?" she said at last. "Me?"

A movement from Leanne drew her attention. The red-haired woman was holding up a single morpher, silver wings emblazoned in a red circle, and for one crazy moment she thought of Zhane and Andros. Then she shook her head.

"I don't need a morpher," Ashley reminded them. "I have more experience controlling a zord without one than anyone else here."

"That's why you should have one," Cam said, as though that made sense. "Those three kids Blake picked up today have morphers because they need them. You have a morpher because we need someone we can rally behind--and you're it."

"What about my kids?" Blake's voice asked.

Ashley sighed silently. She really needed to figure out how they did that. She wondered if she could get someone to teach her to move that quietly... and that fast.

"Cam doesn't find them inspiring," Hunter told his brother idly.

Blake shrugged, leaning against the railing with all the boneless ease the other Bradley brother was trying for and failing at miserably. "No one told me to look for inspiration. 'Find some ninja affinities, Blake.' That's what they told me, and that's what I did."

"They don't have to be inspiring," Cam snapped. "But someone does. No one wins a fight without a leader."

"You have leaders," Ashley pointed out. "There are leaders here, at every hangar, and field leaders in every fleet. You don't need me for any of this."

"In principle, yes, every fleet will have a field leader," Cam corrected impatiently. "We don't even have fleet rosters yet. We do need you, and I told you the first day you arrived that we might need your leadership. You came here to rally us and you expect to do it from behind?"

"I came here to bring you information," she told him. "And to put you in contact with your allies. I'm pretty sure you weren't too excited about that leadership idea when you first brought it up."

"It's a good idea, though," Hunter put in. "I know a lot of people who'd be more comfortable with a real Ranger fighting alongside them."

She knew what the Ranger name meant to people, and how much trust they had in the Power even when--like Cam and Hunter--they said they didn't. But she didn't like giving people false confidence. And she definitely didn't like taking on the protection of a morpher when it could be saving someone else's life.

"We'll have Rangers," Ashley said. "We already do. Their names are Shane, Tori, and Dustin. And that morpher you want to give me could make a fourth."

"We already have a fourth," Leanne remarked, and Ashley understood that she was with Cam on this.

"Look, I'm not going to sit on the sidelines no matter what happens." She didn't know how to make it any clearer to them. "I'm going to be out there, fighting, whether I have a morpher or not. And I already have a better chance of keeping myself and my zord intact than anyone else does. So give that to someone who needs it and I promise you, I'll lead anything you want me to lead."

"Good," Leanne said, as though it was all decided. "You're in charge of the Thunder fleet."

Ashley felt the grip on her arm before she even saw Leanne move, and only residual reflexes let her grab the hand before it could slap the morpher on her wrist. "Don't fuck with me," she said evenly. She even mustered a smile for Leanne's startled expression. She was channeling Cassandra today, no doubt about it.

"I told you," she added, not releasing Leanne's hand. "I don't need that morpher. Save someone else's life."

"Hey, Ashley." Blake sounded unexpectedly disarming. "You said yourself, it's not us that chooses. It's the Power. It's already chosen you once, so... maybe you should let it choose you again."

That was a fatalistic argument. She could just as well say that the Power wanted her to resist this assignment specifically so that it could choose someone else. There was no predicting and no second-guessing a force like that.

"It's not easy to be a figurehead," Cam told her bluntly. "But that's what we're asking. You don't need a morpher. We need a supersoldier. And you're it."

Andros had let them do it to him, she thought with a sigh. He'd let them make him into some kind of icon, and she'd seen for herself the good it was doing. The difference was that Andros was that good--she wasn't. But she would never convince them of that, and what would it do to the other pilots to see a former Ranger turn down a position of leadership in the resistance?

With a flash of insight, she wondered if that was why they were having this conversation on a catwalk in the zord bay.

Reluctantly, Ashley let go of Leanne's hand.

The Red Thunder morpher latched onto her wrist like it was her own. In that first quiet surge of Power, three things came to her simultaneously. One, she was going to have to start wearing something that wasn't yellow. Two, morphing was going to fill her brain to capacity with really bizarre information. And three... she knew who the other Thunder morphers were for.

She lifted her gaze to Leanne's, and their eyes met. Leanne knew that she knew. But neither of them looked away from the other for a long moment, and finally Ashley said, "Just for the record? The Yellow Power has chosen me twice now. I don't think a Red morpher is a good idea."

Leanne's lips curved into a smile, but it was Cam who answered. "Sorry," he said, not sounding at all sorry. "You're not an earth affinity."

Then Leanne turned and calmly placed a second morpher on Hunter's wrist. While he was gaping at her, the third one claimed Blake, and they all just stood there staring at each other. Ashley resisted the urge to laugh, because no, they hadn't seen that coming at all. Leanne and Cam must have made this decision on their own.

"Okay, for the record?" Hunter was the first to find his voice. "I'm not an earth affinity either!"

Cam had a distinctly odd expression on his face, and it didn't seem to have anything to do with his answer. "It's not like you don't look good in every color ever invented," he informed the other ninja. "Deal with it."

"Hey--" Blake started to speak and cut off abruptly. "Wow," he continued after a second, holding up his arm to stare at the morpher on his wrist. "Does it always feel like that?"

"No," Ashley said with a smile. "It gets worse after you morph. The good news is that you get used to it."

"If you think this is gonna make me wear yellow..." Hunter trailed off in what was probably supposed to be a threatening way, but the evil eye he was giving Cam wasn't terribly convincing. She wondered if he could already feel the Power probing his injuries.

"Why does it work if you don't have the right--" Ashley scrambled for the words, and to her surprise, the Power provided them immediately. "Elemental affinity?"

"He doesn't have any affinity," Leanne answered. "He's a ninja elemental."

"Sounds cool, doesn't it?" Hunter said dryly. "Really it just means I have three times as much work." This last seemed to be directed at his sister.

"It's not so much no affinity as it is all of them," Cam offered. "Equally. Or almost equally."

"I prefer air," Hunter grumbled. He threw a look at Ashley. "No offense."

She couldn't help but smile. "I'd trade if I could," she promised.

"Does it help to morph?" Leanne wanted to know. "You said whatever feeling Blake has gets worse after you morph--should you do that now so that you have as much time as possible to get used to it?"

Ashley nodded. "Us, and the other Rangers too. Where are they?"

"I sent them down to one of the other bays," Cam said. He still seemed oddly preoccupied.

"The lion zord," Ashley guessed, watching his reaction.

He looked up in surprise. "How did you know?"

It was nice to have the Power back, she thought, then felt guilty for enjoying it. "Lucky guess," she told him. "We'd better go find them."

"I want to introduce you to the other pilots afterward," Leanne added. "We have forty-two hours until the Aquitians arrive, and we need those fleet rosters."

"Not to mention a chain of command and an attack plan," Cam muttered.

"One thing at a time," Leanne countered mildly.

She was startlingly calm under pressure, Ashley thought. Like the rest of them. Her own team excluded, she didn't think she could ask for a better force at her back than the ninjas. She could only hope that she was what they needed up front.

The problem with being the one up front was that everyone could see you if you faltered. Zhane was pretty sure that Andros wouldn't make that mistake. But he could see the preoccupation in his friend's demeanor, and even if he was the only one, it still worried him. Just a little.

Just enough to call in reinforcements, actually. He knew enough to get Cassandra before TJ, because TJ would come no matter what if he thought there was a problem. Zhane might have to sweet-talk Cassandra into meeting if she knew in advance that TJ was going to be there.

"Hey." He greeted her at her door with a smile. "Want to come to an intervention?"

Cassandra smiled back. She might not have any idea what he was talking about, but she liked him, and that had always worked in his favor. Most people liked him, actually. He tended to take it for granted.

"Trying to change someone's life?" she suggested, folding her arms as she studied him. She didn't invite him in, and he wondered if it was because of his request or because she had company. She didn't act like she had company.

"Trying to change them all," Zhane agreed cheerfully. "Why stop at just one?"

"Ambitious," Cassandra observed.

"Yeah." He dropped the cute and went with serious. "I'm worried about Andros. I don't know what's wrong, but I think he needs more support than just me."

Cassandra's smile vanished, but she didn't question him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Come with me," he said. "Informal team meeting. We need to talk."

"Okay." She unfolded her arms and turned away from the door, calling over her shoulder, "Let me get my blaster. I'll be right there."

He waited for her in the hallway, and she didn't protest when they headed for TJ's apartment. The two of them should have roommates. No one was supposed to be living alone, not now. But they were Rangers. Cassandra had been in the medical ward for a long time. And no one wanted to get in the middle of that breakup.

Cassandra didn't stand right beside him when he stopped outside TJ's door. She waited a few steps back, almost on the other side of the hall, and when he looked over his shoulder he caught her pretending to look at something else. He thought she was trying to give TJ space as much as she was trying to avoid a confrontation.

It took a moment before TJ opened the door, and he didn't look particularly happy about the interruption. His expression cleared when he saw Zhane, then descended into a frown at the sight of Cassandra behind him. "What's wrong?" he said simply.

"I don't know," Zhane admitted. "But Andros is doing his broody leader thing, and that can't be a good sign. Not when things are going so well."

TJ's frown deepened. "If Andros is worried, I'm worried."

"Yeah." A smile tugged at Zhane's expression. "I'm with you. We're gonna go try and get him to talk."

TJ just nodded. "Let's go."

So the three of them took the teleportal back, and Zhane led them straight up to the apartment he shared with Andros. It was a rare moment when most of the team could be caught at home, but he knew for a fact his partner had been headed here after the strategy session in Co-Op. He opened the door without waiting for an answer and gestured TJ and Cassandra in.

*Zhane?* Andros was nowhere in sight, but his voice in Zhane's head probably meant that he'd heard the apartment door open.

*In the living room,* Zhane answered. *With Cassandra and TJ.*

When Andros emerged from the former meditation room a moment later, Zhane didn't say anything. The room had been Ashley's for almost a year, and he didn't think Andros had been using it to meditate. But Andros looked more curious than upset--a sign that he hadn't been indulging in idle self-recrimination, at least.

Pure worry, of course, was another matter entirely.

"What's going on?" Andros asked, his gaze inspecting each of them before finally coming back to Zhane. "Something wrong?"

"That's what we were going to ask you," Zhane told him. "All we've gotten all day is good news, but you left Co-Op in a funk. What made you so quiet?"

Andros glanced over at Cassandra again, and then at TJ. "Did you notice too?" he wanted to know. "Or did Zhane just bring you along to keep himself from getting distracted?"

"Hey," Zhane protested. But TJ and Cassandra were looking at each other, not at him, and he figured that trying to get back at Andros would only prove his point for him. He'd show Andros what "distracted" was later.

"I didn't notice," TJ admitted at last. Cassandra shook her head too, and only then did Zhane notice the sudden casualness of their interaction. No matter what had happened between them, they still turned to each other in the face of trouble.

"Good." Andros turned his quizzical look on Zhane. "Did you pick them deliberately, or could you not find the others?"

"I thought you'd be more likely to talk around people who were used to you," Zhane said bluntly. He knew what Andros was asking--why weren't the newest members of the team here? He also figured that whatever was bothering him wasn't something he wanted to share with just anyone.

Andros wasn't quite... typical, in anything he thought or did. Usually it worked for him. Occasionally it freaked people out.

"This is a team thing," Andros said at last. "If we're going to talk about it, we might as well do it right.

"EDN," he declared, lifting his head to look over at the nearest terminal. "Find the Black and Yellow Astro Rangers and ask them to come to this apartment."

The local AI made the terminal flash in acknowledgement. Impersonal, Zhane thought, but efficient. Very Andros, to take the AIs for granted. Zhane preferred to do some of the work himself when he could.

"It's late," Andros was saying. "Has everyone eaten? There's leftovers in the kitchen if you guys are hungry."

Cassandra raised her hand, a rueful smile on her face. "I'll take you up on that," she remarked. "I haven't even had dinner yet."

"Hey, you've come to the right place," Zhane assured her. "Follow me, and I'll take care of all your culinary needs."

"Do you know something we don't?" TJ asked Andros, as the two of them headed for the kitchen. Zhane knew Andros, but Cassandra stopped where she was and listened expectantly.

"No," Andros told TJ. Then he looked at Cassandra and added, "I'll tell you when the others get here, I promise. If the problem is so imminent that you don't have time to eat, nothing I say is going to matter anyway."

Great. Imminent danger. That would explain the broodiness.

True to his word, though, Andros didn't say anything else until Cael and Karen arrived. The Black Ranger showed up first, apparently having been impressed enough by TJ's tactical training that he gave a summons from the Red Ranger top priority. Karen came a few minutes later, but all it took was one look at the assembled team to bring her concern to the forefront.

"Hi," she said, turning all her attention to Andros. "This strikes me as bad."

He smiled a little at that. "You're not the only one," he said dryly. "This whole meeting was Zhane's idea. He thinks I've been too quiet."

"You have," Zhane put in, when every gaze in the room came to rest on him. "There are major uprisings in progress in monarchy territory. Eltare is actually considering a strike into the heart of the border. The Free Systems are rallying like never before."

He paused, narrowing his eyes at Andros. "And you, my very dear Ranger, are brooding. I want to know why."

Andros still had that faint smile playing about his expression. It was as endearing as it was exasperating, because it could only mean one thing. No matter what he'd told TJ before, he did know something they didn't. It was just a question of whether they'd believe it or not.

"Look at it from Dark Spectre's point of view," he said at last. "Rebellion on KO-35 and Calijyt. Insurgency on Earth. The reappearance of a free Aquitar. The possibly mutiny of his second-in-command." He paused, almost expectantly.

"It's gotta look bad to him," Cael said with a shrug. "Good for us. I don't see the problem."

TJ was studying Andros. "You're worried about how Dark Spectre's going to respond?"

"He can't let a rebellion like this spread." Andros leaned back against the arm of the sofa, next to Zhane. He waved at Karen, who was the only one still standing. "He'll strike back, and it's not going to be pretty."

"Everyone knows that," Karen pointed out. She came over to join him and Zhane anyway, navigating between Cael's chair and Cassandra's impromptu dinner. "They knew there would be consequences way before they started this."

"Yeah," TJ agreed. "This is war, Andros. They knew what they were getting into."

Andros didn't answer, and Zhane kept his mouth shut. He knew, somehow, that that wasn't what Andros meant. But the others were chiming in now, reassuring each other as much as Andros, and he let them.

"Every one of those planets knew what they had to lose," Cassandra was saying. "And Aquitar's the only one that doesn't come out ahead. I'd rather die fighting than in chains, and that's the choice they're making. All of them except Aquitar."

Cael scoffed. "Aquitar can disappear again any time. They're not risking anyone who didn't volunteer."

"It's not actually the rebellions that I'm worried about," Andros said quietly.

Quiet, maybe. But it silenced the room.

Not the rebellions. Even though his own teammates were out there fighting for them. Not the monarchy either, then, despite the fact that his sister was in the middle of it. That only left...

"Us?" Zhane guessed. "You think he's going to come down on the Free Systems?"

Andros just looked at him, and that was all the answer he needed.

"He's been trying," TJ pointed out. "We're still here."

"If the monarchy had anything else to throw at us, they would have done it already," Cassandra agreed. "I'm not saying it's not dangerous. But the uprisings have to draw Dark Spectre's forces away, not toward us."

"I don't think so." Andros folded his arms, but his pensive expression didn't change. "He can't put down all of them. The best thing to do is to send a signal, something that will do his work for him. Dishearten the rebellions. Make them think they have nothing left to fight for."

"Wait a minute," TJ objected. "Even aside from the question of what Dark Spectre could do that would actually accomplish that, I thought the point of inciting this kind of mutiny in the first place was to divert his forces. Divide and conquer."

"Get the heat off of us so we can help," Cassandra added. "That's the plan, isn't it? We chip away at whatever direction seems the weakest, and ideally we break through to an ally on the other side."

"That was the plan," Andros agreed. "I didn't expect it to work quite this well."

"You're saying it's too successful?" Cael looked like he wanted to laugh. "That's crazy. It's working! We should be getting ready for a real offensive, not worrying about how to defend ourselves!"

Zhane bristled, but Andros just said mildly, "All of Eltare is getting ready for a real offensive. We're not holding anyone back by considering other possibilities."

"We're wasting time!" Cael exclaimed. His gaze locked on Andros' again, and his tone was suddenly grim. "We'll kill morale. You have to know how important this momentum is. We can't take away the only hope people have just so we can indulge in a game of 'what if'."

"This isn't a game," Zhane snapped, unable to let it go any longer. "Andros is the reason we have hope, and I'm not going to stop listening to him just because things have started going right!"

He felt Andros' hand drop to his shoulder, but he didn't take his eyes off of Cael. The new Black Ranger was a teammate in name only at this point. He didn't ask that anyone worship Andros. He only wished they could have a fraction of the faith that had transformed his own life.

"Look, I have plenty of respect for Andros," Cael informed them. He nodded once to Andros, and Zhane saw Andros return the gesture out of the corner of his eye. "I'm just saying that these are circumstances we have to take advantage of. We can't sit around waiting for the other shoe to drop!"

"I agree," Andros remarked calmly. "We have to work with whatever situation we find ourselves in."

Cael pressed on. "The situation is success. It's easy to forget what that feels like around here, but we have something going here. We've gotta follow through."

Zhane couldn't figure out why Andros had insisted on having him here. Karen, okay, she'd been with them as long as Carlos had and she knew what it took to get Andros to talk. But Cael wasn't helping anything.

TJ seemed to realize it too. "Assuming you're right," he said to Andros. "What do you think Dark Spectre can do to the Free Systems?"

"Abandon the line on the border," Andros said. "Give the border planets over to the rebels and concentrate all of that firepower on what's left of the League."

Zhane stared at the low table in front of him, running through the calculations in his head. Estimates of the calculations, anyway. There were a lot of fighters on the border, spread out to enforce restricted areas and slave routes, on top of the military presence required on the planets themselves. If everything that held the front lines of monarchy territory just abandoned their orderly advance and made a suicide run at the heart of the Free Systems...

It would be disaster. For both sides.

"Without the Free Systems," Andros continued, "the border planets won't have anywhere to turn. Dark Spectre can go back through and suppress them--basically at his convenience."

"He won't do that for the same reason we wouldn't," Cassandra said. "The cost is too high."

"When the alternative is losing the border anyway?" TJ might be responding to her, but he was still looking at Andros. "You thought Astronema was lying, didn't you. Like the rest of us."

Andros didn't answer.

"What do we do?" Zhane asked into the silence.

"Defend the Free Systems," Andros said simply. "Eltare is full of Border Rangers who want to jump into the middle of any independent movement on their homeworld. We can't go rushing in to support our planets at the cost of this one."

"That's not going to be a popular decision," TJ warned. "Not when Eltare is looking so strong. Especially not if the raids keep decreasing like this."

"It's not about being popular." Andros sounded irritated for the first time. "It's about getting it right."

"Maybe we should talk to the other Rangers," Cassandra offered.

"Wait, hang on just a second," Cael interrupted. "You want to tell the other teams what to do because Andros has a bad feeling about this?"

Zhane glanced over at Cassandra, then at TJ. Cassandra's expression was neutral, and TJ actually shrugged a little. "He's been right before."

"He's been wrong before!" Cael countered. "Look, Andros, I appreciate everything you've done as a Ranger, and I realize I'm kind of new at this. But out of nineteen Rangers defending this planet, you're the only one who isn't celebrating right now. Don't you think maybe, this time, it's the rest of the world that's right?"

"Don't you think people are more willing to believe good news than bad?" Zhane retorted. "Everyone's all ready to follow Andros when he's telling them what they want to hear. But when he says, 'gee, maybe this isn't such a good idea,' everybody decides he doesn't know what he's talking about!"

"We have a duty to Eltare," TJ reminded them. "That doesn't change just because we see a chance to do good somewhere else. If this planet is threatened--"

"This planet has been threatened for years!" Cael exclaimed. "Expanding the Free Systems will make us safer!"

"Not if Dark Spectre decides he has nothing to lose," Cassandra said quietly.

"Are you telling me not to fight because you're afraid he'll fight back?" Cael demanded.

"I'm saying that I follow Andros." Cassandra had thrown down the gauntlet. "The border is on its own until he tells me otherwise."

"I second that," Zhane said firmly.

"This isn't a vote," Andros told them. "Cael is right: the Free Systems have hope on their side, and they need to hang onto it for as long as possible. We're not in charge of anything except ourselves and our fighters. This is just a hypothetical discussion."

"You've never had a hypothetical discussion in your life," Zhane muttered, loud enough to be heard by the entire room.

"I think there are other Rangers that would be interested in this hypothetical discussion," Cassandra remarked. Her agreement was obvious.

"They'll have to decide for themselves." Andros glanced at Cael. "Eltaran defense is the responsibility of all its resident Rangers."

"They can't decide anything unless we tell them there's a decision," TJ declared. "I'm calling Ma'Ree. Just for a friendly chat," he added, the hint of a smile lightening his expression. "With a hypothetical thought question thrown in."

Cassandra shifted uncomfortably. Zhane decided not to wait for her to volunteer. "You want to mention it to Saryn?" he asked. "He knows Andros. He'll listen."

"I will," she murmured, not looking at anyone else. "He and Jenna don't have anything to go back to anyway."

Their planet had been devastated in the fighting. No longer habitable, maybe, but Zhane didn't think a little thing like that would stop the Elisian Rangers from charging out to the border. Just in principle. Saryn was as reckless as Andros--without the ties that made Andros stop and think.

"Andros," Cael declared. "I don't like this. Maybe Zhane's right, maybe I just don't want to believe it, or maybe everyone else is right and you're wrong."

He hesitated, and Zhane wasn't the only one watching him. They were all waiting now. "Maybe you're wrong," Cael repeated at last, "but you're the Red Ranger. I don't want you to think that just because I disagree, I won't follow your orders."

Zhane glanced up at Andros, still perched on the arm of the sofa. "The strength of a Ranger is the team," he said calmly. "You wouldn't be here if we couldn't count on you."

"Yeah, I tell Andros he's wrong all the time," TJ put in, making an obvious effort to lighten the mood. "And it got me command of my own patrol!"

"And you're welcome to it." Zhane pretended to relax a little, reaching over to nudge Karen. "Do you think anyone else on this team wants their own patrol?"

"Just the opposite," she replied promptly. Apparently her silence didn't mean she wasn't paying attention. "On the other hand, you argue with Andros more than any of us, and you get to sleep with him!"

Zhane gaped at her, but TJ whooped and Cassandra started to laugh as soon as she finished choking on her water. Karen just widened her eyes at Zhane, presumably going for an innocent look. "What?"

"Come on, guys," Cael interrupted dryly. "There's no need to threaten me."

12. Funny Story

"Talking to Ko'Teth ma Ree without mentioning it to her teammates is a mistake," Saryn said quietly. "She leads by consensus, and she will not consider something none of her teammates support."

"I don't know any of the Calijyt Rangers well enough to bring it up with them," Cassandra whispered back. "TJ's the only one who even knows Ma'Ree."

"Ya'Noth and I bonded over wing deployment," Jenna murmured. "I could at least ask her some questions."

"Now?" Saryn prompted, nodding toward the front of the room. The Calijyt Rangers were trickling in after the slowest patrol of the day, and Jenna followed his gaze automatically.

"Sure," she agreed. "Get her attention, would you?"

Saryn didn't make any perceptible movement, at least none that Cassandra could see, but Ya'Noth glanced casually in their direction. Jenna waved at her, gesturing toward the seat beside her, and the Calijyt Ranger smiled. She waved back, then pointed at the line to indicate that she would pick up food before joining them.

"Thanks," Jenna said, turning back to her tray.

Cassandra gave her a puzzled look. When she looked at Saryn, though, he was scanning the room. Finally he paused, and she leaned a little to one side to see what he was looking at. Just then Kayatachi looked up, and Saryn tipped his head toward the empty seat beside him.

To Cassandra's surprise, Kayatachi not only seemed to have noticed the motion but also understood what he meant. The Pink Eltaran Ranger held up her fist in a "hold" gesture, easily visible across the crowded room but less obtrusive than yelling, then flicked one, two, three fingers in his direction. Three minutes.

Saryn nodded, apparently satisfied. Then he shot an inquiring look at Cassandra, as though he could feel her watching him. Which, she thought, he probably could.

"How did you do that?" she wanted to know.

His expression didn't change. "To what do you refer?"

In the chair across from him, Jenna snorted. "Mind tricks. Lyris taught him that too."

"Mind tricks?" Cassandra repeated. She turned her curious look on the other Ranger, since Saryn was pretending total innocence. It was a look she would never have thought he could pull off, not with everything he'd been through. But right now, he looked like nothing so much as a college boy feigning memory loss about the night before.

"I can't do it," Jenna said with a shrug. "But he could get your attention from the other side of the hangar bay without saying a word. And you wouldn't even know he'd done it."

"How?" Cassandra looked from one of them to the other, focusing on Saryn when Jenna shot him an expectant look.

Saryn just nodded toward the front of the room. "Watch the line for a moment," he suggested.

She did as she was told, then glanced back at him to see what he was doing.

He smiled at her.

"Can't even tell he did it, can you," Jenna said. The amusement was plain in her voice.

Cassandra blinked. "He didn't do anything."

"Then why did you look at him?" Jenna wanted to know.

"I was just..." She trailed off. "I don't know; I was just curious. Why?"

"It is non-intrusive," Saryn told her. "If you were particularly focused on something else, you wouldn't have looked away. And if you were aware of what I was doing, you would have no difficulty resisting the impulse to turn. It is simply a... suggestion."

"He made you curious," Jenna said bluntly. "He made you want to look at him. He can make you not look, too," she added, giving Saryn a small smirk. "Which is just as useful, in its own way."

"He didn't make me look," Cassandra protested. "It was just a coincidence. Try it again, and I won't look this time. I promise."

"It is not a compulsion," Saryn countered. "Nothing forces you to look at me. If you are determined not to, then you will not. But if you are going to look somewhere, and there's no specific reason that 'somewhere' should not be me, then you are prompted to do so."

She wasn't totally convinced. But Ya'Noth was headed their way, so she just gave him a skeptical look and didn't reply. He seemed more amused by her doubt than anything, and she couldn't decide whether that was charming or annoying.

"How was patrol?" Jenna was asking Ya'Noth. "Is it still slowing down out there?"

"By the hour," the woman agreed, settling into the seat beside Jenna. "I had almost forgotten what it is to fly without shooting. I'm afraid my skill in that respect is not what it once was."

"May we all have a chance to practice that skill," Saryn murmured.

"May we indeed." Ya'Noth's gaze flicked toward Cassandra in acknowledgement, and Cassandra smiled in return. "It seems possible that the intensity of our patrols might diminish if this pattern continues."

"I have been surprised," Saryn remarked, "that no one has made that very suggestion in a strategy session as yet."

"Jenkarta will react poorly," Ya'Noth predicted. "Perhaps we remain silent out of respect for his position as leader of this world's defense."

"This isn't the only world that needs defending," Jenna put in.

"As a free world, however, it remains our first priority," Saryn reminded her.

"There might be more free worlds by the end of the day," Jenna told her tray. She glanced up, catching his eye and focusing on him. That look was all it took to make Cassandra understand--they were feigning disagreement, trying to see if Ya'Noth would support one side or the other. "KO-35 and Calijyt aren't completely under monarchy control anymore."

"Nor are they free. They have come this far without Rangers," Saryn pointed out. "There is little historic precedent for rallying rebellions with an outside force if they can not do it themselves."

"The Rangers of those worlds could hardly be considered an outside force," Ya'Noth interjected.

"Perhaps," Saryn allowed. "Nonetheless, we are committed to this world now. It is not worth abandoning a known need for an uncertain and possibly untenable situation."

"I admit, I am surprised to hear you say that." Ya'Noth was studying him. "Do you suppose you might feel differently if it was your world mounting a rebellion that called its Rangers home?"

"I'd go," Jenna declared recklessly. "If there was anyone left on Elisia to fight? I'd be there right now."

"It takes nineteen Rangers to defend Eltare." Cassandra hadn't meant to get involved, but she didn't like the pensive look on Saryn's face. "What good could one Ranger team do on a border world that isn't even free?"

"It took nineteen Rangers to defend Eltare," Jenna corrected. "The raids are decreasing fast. Maybe the Free Systems could spare a few of us--especially if it meant expanding our territory."

"Back to Border space," Ya'Noth said thoughtfully. "It is a tempting goal."

"Are you collecting Pink Rangers, Saryn?"

Cassandra looked up in surprise. Kayatachi was standing at the end of the table, regarding them all with a small smile on her face. She was the fourth, Cassandra realized. The fourth Pink Ranger at their table, even if Jenna--like Saryn--wore mostly black.

"I prefer to be surrounded by my favorite color," Saryn said solemnly, and it took Cassandra a moment to understand that he had just made a joke.

She wasn't the only one, apparently. Jenna was smirking, but Ya'Noth looked surprised and Kayatachi was giving Saryn a look of amused curiosity. "Why, Saryn," she said pleasantly. "I don't think I've ever heard you say something so... unnecessary."

"I do as circumstances dictate," he replied. "There has been little room for anything but necessity, of late. Please, join us," he added, motioning to the seat beside him.

"Thank you," Kayatachi said with a smile. "For the invitation and for the hope I hear in your voice." Her smile included them all as she sat down, greeting them wordlessly. "You too believe that circumstances are changing, then?"

"I believe that Andros has orchestrated an offensive that does not depend on the military strength of the Free Systems," Saryn replied. "I believe that offensive has a power and a momentum all its own. And I believe that Eltare will continue to benefit from it."

"Yes," Jenna said with a laugh, tapping his tray with her fork. "He believes that circumstances are changing."

"That is what I said," Saryn remarked evenly.

"We were just discussing the possibility of sending some of our Rangers to reinforce the Border planets," Ya'Noth put in. "To aid the rebellions already taking place."

"I see." The Pink Eltaran Ranger didn't react one way or the other. "Jenkarta brought up that idea during our last patrol."

Cassandra glanced at the Rangers on the other side of the table. Ya'Noth was studying Kayatachi, but Jenna caught her eye and raised her eyebrows slightly. "What does he think of it?" Ya'Noth was asking.

"He doesn't like it," Kayatachi said dismissively, but then she smiled. "Of course. Some of us argued the point, but Jenkarta thinks that the last few days are just... an aberration. A lessening of the siege, not a forecast of its imminent end."

"I agree," Saryn put in. "This is a dangerous thing we're discussing. To increase the region for which we take responsibility by depleting forces that are barely enough to defend the territory we already hold? I see no good that can come of it."

"Well, Reds are the tacticians," Kayatachi said with a sigh. "But I'd like to think you're wrong. Monarchy forces are falling back, and I'd like to encourage them in any way we can."

"What does Andros think?" Ya'Noth asked suddenly. Cassandra looked at her in surprise, and she found the Pink Ranger from Calijyt looking back. "Does he want to return to KO-35?"

"We've talked about it," Cassandra admitted, careful not to look at Saryn or Jenna. "He doesn't think now is the time."

"Indeed." Ya'Noth looked thoughtful. "That surprises me."

"Why?" Kayatachi wanted to know. "Did he say?"

"He thinks the rebellions are already out of Dark Spectre's control," Cassandra offered. "Andros says the logical thing for the monarchy to do now is to concentrate its forces... to find a target that will have an effect on all the rebellions at once."

When no one said anything, she added, "He thinks that target is going to be us."

"Attack the Free Systems." Ya'Noth seemed suddenly enlightened. "Now it begins to make sense to me. Only Andros would anticipate such a catastrophic turn of events."

"You think he's overreacting?" Kayatachi asked.

"No," the other Ranger admitted. She glanced around the table, her gaze settling at last on Cassandra. "I think he may yet save us all."

"Andros."

He answered his digimorpher automatically, and only after he'd done it did he realize what was wrong. "Karen?" he demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, if I knew where 'here' was," her voice answered, "maybe I'd have more of an idea. I'm guessing I'm... maybe... no. Sorry. Got nothing. Where am I?"

"We're in JT's dimension," Andros told her. "KO-35 is overrun by Dark Spectre's forces, and Astronema is staging a mutiny with help from the general population. How did you get here?"

"Funny story," Karen remarked. "Or maybe it would be, if I had any idea. One moment I was shooting down velocifighters over the KO-35 we know and love, and the next I was in the sky over a planet that looks... well, overrun by armies of darkness. Where are you?"

"Outside the skyport at Quon," he answered automatically.

"I have no idea where that is," Karen said. "Do you want me to come to you? Because if you do, I'm going to need coordinates."

*Andros,* Kerone interrupted. *I've got two zords in the atmosphere. One of them's Ty's, and I think the other one might be Karen?*

"Is Ty with you?" Andros asked.

"Should he be? He was off my screen before--want me to give him a shout?"

*I'm talking to Karen now,* he told Kerone. *She didn't know Ty was here, and she doesn't have any idea how she got here.*

*I've got Ty,* Kerone answered. *He's running silent.*

"No, Kerone's talking to him now," Andros told Karen. "Tell me about the velocifighters back home--how many, how bad, and who's left?"

"Hundreds, but not as bad as you'd think," Karen replied immediately. "Zhane and Astronema are reinforcing the PD with zords--or they were last I knew. And the Megaship is providing some serious ground support."

"Astronema's in a zord?" Andros demanded. "Who's on the Megaship?"

"Zhane gave Astronema his digimorpher so she could fly his zord. There's no one on the Megaship--DECA doesn't need a pilot, does she?"

*Andros, Ty says the situation on our KO-35 isn't good. I'm going to send him and Karen back through the ID portal unless you want them here."

*Good,* Andros agreed. *Give me coordinates for the portal and I'll relay them to Karen.*

"Karen, Kerone's going to send you back," he said aloud. "Tell Zhane to call Elisia for backup if he needs it. And tell him that all the velocifighters coming through the portal are from the Dark Fortress; Astronema might be able to do something with that."

*Ready?* Kerone asked.

"I'm going to give you coordinates," Andros said, cutting Karen off as she tried to ask a question. "They'll take you to an ID portal that should be open for you when you get there."

*Go,* he told Kerone mentally, then repeated the numbers she gave him aloud.

"Got it," Karen said. "I'm on my way. What about you?"

"Ashley and I are going to stay here and make sure Kerone doesn't get herself killed pretending to be the person who's pretending to be Dark Spectre's loyal follower," Andros said dryly. "We expect to find our planet intact when we come home."

Karen's tone sounded positively cheerful as she replied, "We're on it!"

"You look worried," Ashley said quietly.

Cam didn't look up. "How incredibly observant."

"You should be sleeping," she said, leaning up against the railing next to him.

"I don't have time." He still refused to acknowledge her with a glance.

"Any time spent staring over a railing could be better spent in bed," she pointed out.

"They'll be here in the morning," Cam muttered. "And Hunter and Blake are sparring!" He punctuated the sentence with a fist to the railing, a blow that made a satisfying clanging sound but probably didn't relieve any of his frustration.

"Testing their new powers?" Ashley guessed.

Cam's exasperated silence was all the answer she needed.

"Look, Cam, morphers leave you with energy to burn. You can't sit around all day, you'd go crazy if you tried. Rangers aren't just athletes, they're good athletes--maybe the best, and you know why? Because they practice all the time. Constantly. They have to, or they'd never sleep.

"Sometimes they don't sleep anyway," she added ruefully. "Rangers are made for battle, for a fighting intensity that most people can't imagine. When they don't get that, when they aren't challenged enough, they have to find something else to take its place."

Cam glared down at the bay below. "He's injured," he informed the cavernous space. "He was attacked and beaten; did you know that? He was fucking mauled, and he's in there letting his brother throw punches at him."

Ashley looked at him, wondering if he had given this any thought at all. "What do you think Rangers do?" she asked quietly. "It's not all zords and space battles--and even when it is, there's g-forces and decompression and inertia. When it's not, there's blasters and sharp-edged weapons and our bare hands. We fight, Cam. The Power is used to healing pretty much any abuse the body can take."

She saw Cam swallow. Maybe she had been too harsh. She wasn't sure how to make it better, and she didn't know what else to tell him. He'll be all right? Everything will be fine? He knew as well as she did that there were no guarantees.

"I wanted him to have that morpher," Cam told the railing. "Because I knew I couldn't keep him out of a zord either way. If he had to be in a cockpit, I thought--"

He stopped abruptly. Ashley waited, but he didn't pick up again. She thought maybe he was worried about looking foolish in front of her... or maybe he was really so upset that he couldn't go on. She couldn't tell.

"He's safer with it than without it," she said at last. "The Power looks out for its Rangers, I promise you that."

He didn't say anything for a long moment. She just stood there with him, offering what comfort she had, letting him be the one to decide when to walk away. She knew how hard it was to watch someone with a morpher go into battle without you.

When Cam spoke, his voice was so quiet that she wasn't sure he meant for her to hear. "What if he dies because of me?"

His morphers had gone to the Wind Rangers. He must have had some influence over Leanne's decision of whom to give the Thunder morphers to also--or maybe he'd had some say in who piloted the zords in the first place. Or else he was just taking responsibility for everything about the resistance, which honestly wouldn't be out of character for him.

"What if he doesn't?" Ashley braced her elbows on the railing and looked down at her hands. "What if you change your mind now, put him somewhere else, tell him not to do something, and that gets him killed?"

She glanced over at him, but he still wasn't looking at her. "Don't second-guess yourself," she told him. "It'll only paralyze you."

"Easy for you to say," Cam muttered.

"It's always easy to say," she said, more sharply than she'd intended. "But people don't say things because they're easy. They say them because there's nothing else they can do."

He surprised her then by looking up. Catching her eye, he said simply, "Thanks for trying."

The good news was that Kae had a new babysitter. The bad news was that she was back in JT's dimension for the second time in two days, and she wasn't alone. Or rather, she didn't come alone.

"Andros," she told the comm.

His answer came back immediately. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"You got it. And this time I brought friends," Karen added, glancing at her tactical screen. "Plural."

"I see that." Which made her wonder where he was that he could tell what was going on instantaneously. "You'd better come to Sai Kung. Kerone says the ID portal's too unpredictable to use right now."

That didn't sound good. "Where's--"

"I'm sending you coordinates now," Andros interrupted.

He was sending them, not relaying them by voice. Sure enough, they showed up in her navcomp a second later. "We're on our way," she told him.

"Want to tell us what's going on?" Carlos asked over the zord network.

"I would if I knew," she answered. "I told you I was here yesterday. Kerone sent me back through the ID portal, but I guess she can't do it today. I don't know why you're all here too. I don't even know why I'm here--or Andros, or Ashley or Kerone. Anything else I can fill you in on?"

"Thanks," TJ's voice answered dryly. "How about telling us what happened to this planet? This is still KO-35, right?"

"It's JT's KO-35," Karen agreed. "Andros says it was overrun by Dark Spectre, and now Kerone's trying to take it back. Or Astronema is, but then she and Kerone switched places, so Kerone's in charge.

"Andros and Ashley got sent here a couple days ago," she added. "They didn't switch, they just got sent. Kerone offered to send them back through the portal but Andros won't leave as long as she's still here. When me and Ty got sent here too, Zhane was the only Ranger left, and that's when he called you guys."

"And the Elisian Rangers," TJ filled in.

"And the Elisians," Karen repeated. "I guess maybe he thought something like this might happen."

"I didn't even understand it when you explained it to me," Gabe complained. "If he expected whatever just happened, he's either psychic or seriously messed up."

"With Zhane it's a fine line," Carlos replied.

"I don't mean to put a damper on this spirit of adventure in the face of total confusion," Tessa began. "But if we're here because of the ID portal, and the ID portal's not working, then how are we going to get back?"

"I," TJ said seriously, "have no idea." Or not so seriously. "There was a time when that would have bothered me, but I've since learned that being a Ranger isn't about knowing what you're doing."

There was a long pause, and then Carlos asked, "So... what is it about?"

"When I figure it out," TJ answered, and Karen could hear the grin in his voice, "I'll let you know."

It was going better than any of them had anticipated. Sometimes, Ashley thought, things just worked. Sometimes they didn't, and that was why she tried not to take the times when they did for granted. This was definitely one of those times.

The Aquitian force had caught most of the planet off guard, which was good. The ninja resistance had taken the occupation completely unaware, which was better. Air squads that had lifted off in response to the Aquitian threat were caught in the crossfire when the ninja zords emerged, and the ground forces were being decimated by the terrestrial assault vehicles.

It was a fairer fight than they could have asked for, all things considered. They had expected to strike and retreat, to shake up the occupying forces and then regroup. But the initial attack had come out so strongly in their favor that they had pressed on, taking out tactical installations by twos and threes instead of one at a time, and soon the Aquitian zords left space to the fighters and joined their fellows in the atmosphere.

The fight was on, and so naturally Cam wanted it stopped. Ashley had been dealing with his voice in her ear since they first launched, and she didn't mind saying she was getting damn tired of it. If she didn't know that Leanne was probably driving the Aquitian Rangers just as crazy, she would have told him to shut up and find someone else to monitor.

"You've been out there for seven hours straight," Cam was telling her, like she didn't have the same time display in her zord that everyone else did. She could count the seconds if she chose. But she didn't, because it wasn't important.

"I know how long it's been," she said evenly, swinging around to reinforce her teammates on the ground. The dogfights were pretty much over, and the aerial zords were now flying support, reconnaissance, and the occasional independent strike on targets below.

"You need to set down!" He was almost shouting at her, which made her smile because look who'd lost his temper first. She was actually quite proud of herself for being so polite to him for This Long.

"You can't stay in those cockpits forever," Cam was saying. "They're not designed for long term occupancy and you're making them into residence halls!"

"They're whatever we need them to be," she told him absently. She was strafing the ground now, dividing her attention between the two zords she was running cover for and giving him whatever was leftover--which wasn't that much. "Right now we need vehicles that are in it for the long haul, and they are."

"Your bodies aren't!" Cam countered. "You can't keep up a pace like this forever!"

"Thunders," Ashley called, as her zord lifted toward the sky again. "You getting tired down there?" She got a laugh and a derisive snicker in return.

"Yeah, right!" Blake shouted back at her.

"Never been better!" Hunter agreed. And he sounded just like he said, no trace of pain or fatigue in his voice. She didn't doubt that it was the same throughout the fleets.

At least, the Powered fleets. Cam had a point, even if he was focused on the wrong people. "Shane," she said, switching from one zord network to another. "How's your team holding up?"

"Too many guns," he replied, sounding just as high as the Thunders. "Not enough targets!"

"It's been more than seven hours," she told him. "I'm going to ask the non-Powered fleets to stand down. Are you guys good to step it up?"

She got a laugh from him too, and she found herself grinning in return. Who needed caffeine when there was the Power? "You bet!" Shane responded.

"Mireth," she declared, rolling her zord for the hell of it. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and she had a target lock. "I'm going to send seven of our fleets back to base."

"Acknowledged," came the reply. "Our fighters have settled into a holding pattern. There is little else they can do here."

"I agree," Ashley answered, swooping in on a quantron outpost that looked mostly deserted. She blasted it to pieces anyway, eliminating another point of retreat for the raids her teammates were systematically picking off. "You've more than fulfilled your promise to us."

"I am sending the fighter wings home," the White Ranger replied. "Our zords will remain."

"Acknowledged," Ashley said with a smile. "Thanks, Aquitar."

She switched to the allcall. "All fleets, this is Red Thunder. Powered fleets will regroup at the following coordinates. Everyone else, stand down. Repeat, non-Powered fleets will stand down and proceed to base. Please acknowledge."

Ashley sent out the coordinates and got seven acknowledgements of the stand down command. "Good work," she told them. "Once each member of your fleet is home and accounted for, take a moment to congratulate each other. Then contact the Thunder base for a status report and further instructions."

"Thanks a lot," Cam muttered in her ear.

She shut off the allcall and retorted, "There's just no pleasing you, is there? What does it take to make you happy?"

He sounded a little startled. "I was kidding."

She smiled at the comm, despite the fact that he couldn't see her. "I know."

"But I meant you," he continued, as though he hadn't almost apologized. "All of you. Not just the ones without morphers."

"They're the only ones who need the break," Ashley answered, doing a final sweep before turning to head for the rendezvous point. Air threat was negligible. All active ground-based defense systems had been neutralized, though she was still a little worried about hidden battlements they might not know about yet.

Now they were stuck in the time-consuming process of eradicating occupation forces, comm equipment, relays, outposts... anything they could find that might be able to aid the reinforcements they all knew were coming. Not to mention the protection they owed to non-resistance citizens, who hadn't asked to have the full force of the occupation turned on them just because a bunch of ninjas had decided to fight back. This was a lull--nothing more.

Nothing less, either, and she embraced it whole-heartedly. Who knew how long it would be before reinforcements arrived in earnest? Given the shock their uprising had been to the occupation, she guessed they could spare a few more hours for clean-up operations.

"Ashley, your system has been flooded with more stress hormones than you can name for seven hours straight," Cam was telling her. "You haven't eaten anything, haven't even had a drink of water, and you're telling me you don't need a break?"

"You heard them," she reminded him. "They weren't kidding. They feel fine, probably better than normal, no matter how long they've been out here. The Power takes care of us."

"The Power isn't god," Cam snapped. "You talk about it like it's a religious icon."

"I know what it can do," Ashley said simply. "If you scanned us, right now, our body chemistry would be so strange you probably wouldn't recognize it. We don't need to eat, and we don't need to rest. Not now."

"And you'll keep thinking that right up until you collapse from self-inflicted physical abuse," Cam shot back.

"Believe me," Ashley told him, "you haven't seen even half of what we can take. You wanted a supersoldier? You've got six of them."

"I didn't send you out there to sacrifice yourselves," Cam retorted.

"We're not." She didn't know how to convince him. "Look, you're right, okay? We're probably high as a kite by any conventional definition. The Power amplifies everything your body can do, it gives you confidence and stamina you didn't know you had, and, okay, it makes you a little reckless.

"It doesn't cloud our judgement--if anything, it does the opposite. The Power picks people who will do good with it, Cam, and that applies to the way we treat ourselves just as much the way we treat everyone else. We know what we can do, okay? You have to trust me on this."

There was a pause. "I trust you," he grumbled, sounding a little less confrontational. "You've been through this. They haven't. I'm not convinced they know what they can take as well as you do."

"The Power won't let them hurt themselves," she said, as gently as she could. "I know. I have a friend, back on Eltare... he lost some people, people who were really close to him. He tried to kill himself.

"He couldn't," she said softly. "He couldn't do it. Not because he didn't want to, but because it was impossible."

Cam was quiet as her zord approached the coordinates she'd sent out. Then, finally, he said, "I'd rather trust people than the Power."

"Then do it," she said firmly. "You're not wrong, Cam. The Power can push us so far that we crash. But it doesn't hurt us. It will keep us going when we have nothing left, and it will charge us up again afterward. I've been a Ranger for three years. I know what I'm talking about."

The Thunder zords were waiting for her when she arrived, and the Winds made a decent entrance considering they'd never operated heavy machinery together before this morning. The Aquitian zords put them all to shame, coming in for a textbook landing in perfect formation. They were far enough apart that an attack on one would have little to no effect on the others, and she appreciated their paranoia--or was it just procedure?--no matter what the tactical screens said.

"I'm listening," Cam said at last, just when she'd giving up on him responding at all. "I know you have the experience. It's just... it's just my personal involvement that makes it hard for me to accept what you're saying."

She blinked, surprised to hear him say it so clearly. "I understand," she told him. "And I promise you, I know where you're coming from."

"I guess you would," he agreed reluctantly. "Having a morpher doesn't make it any easier to watch the people you love put themselves at risk, does it."

It wasn't a question, but she shook her head anyway. "No," she answered. "Nothing does."

"This is a problem."

Kerone was watching the inside of the Sai Kung base from orbit, and she looked far more amused than Andros felt. "I find it very convenient," she informed him. "I have Ranger soldiers now. You can't just get them off the assembly line, you know."

He gave her a look, which for some reason only made her smile. "Every Ranger that's here is one less Ranger that's at home," he said, even though she knew that perfectly well. "We don't even know why we're here. All we know is that we're going one way and the velocifighters are going the other."

"Which, again," Kerone remarked, "I have to point out is very convenient. They're short some Rangers, and you're short a couple of zords. At least the equipment disparity is on the right side."

She was ensconced in the relative safety of the Dark Fortress. All that meant was that Andros couldn't toss any projectiles her way--and she knew it. His sister was taking full advantage of their separation to make fun of him. It was moderately annoying and a little comforting, at the same time.

"Why can't we go back through the ID portal?" TJ wanted to know. The entire Earth team was here at this point, reinforcements called in by Zhane and then diverted to another dimension hours later. Why them and not the Elisians, no one knew.

"Because two velocifighters exploded during transit this morning," Kerone said bluntly. "One might have been a coincidence, damage sustained during battle, aggravated by the energy fluctuation of the portal. But two?"

"It probably wasn't built to be a permanent gateway," Andros muttered. "It may be breaking down all on its own."

"That's good, right?" Carlos glanced around at them all, huddled in what used to be one of the skyport's smaller lounges. "If it's breaking down, that means less velocifighters for the other dimension."

"It's not stopping enough of them to make a difference at this point," Kerone told him. "Two out of hundreds isn't significant."

"For us, maybe," Karen put in. "But not for them. I see what you mean."

"Umm... Kerone?" Tessa looked a little uncertain. "Why can't you just tell the velocifighters not to go through the portal? I mean, they're Astronema's soldiers, right? Why can't you just tell them to go somewhere else?"

Andros exchanged glances with his sister through the comm. She didn't have to tell him. He already knew, and he thought Ashley understood too. At least, she hadn't asked.

"Dark Spectre thinks I'm acting on my own," Kerone said. She didn't lower her voice, and she didn't look over her shoulder, and Andros knew intellectually that just the fact that she was talking to them in the first place could get her killed. But he still didn't like to hear it spelled out.

"As long as he believes his second-in-command is trying to take his place, he'll assume I don't have the support to carry out more than a localized mutiny," she was telling Tessa. "Dark Spectre has bigger problems right now, so he's ignoring this. If he knew that I was working with the Free Systems, though, I'd be a much bigger threat.

"The velocifighters tell him that my allegiance is only to myself," Kerone continued. "If I redirect them, everyone on this planet will be in danger. More danger than they're already in," she amended.

"Plus those are your quantrons on those velocifighters," Karen said with a fierce grin. "Andros was right; Astronema recognized them right away. She can stop them if she gets close enough to them, so once they're on the ground they're neutralized as fast as she can teleport."

"They're still doing damage from the air," TJ warned. "And frankly, I don't like having 'neutralized' soldiers wandering around. Whatever Astronema did to them, they're still quantrons, and I'd be happier if they were scrap metal."

"Zhane will take care of them," Andros said firmly. "If we get rid of as many as possible over here, that'll be less for them to deal with on the other side."

"Well, we came to defend KO-35," Gabe remarked, speaking for the first time. "I guess technically we never said which one."

"That's the spirit," Carlos agreed, clapping him on the back. "So what do you want us to do, Andros?"

"Ashley!" Kerone's exclamation made everyone look up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Ashley's reassurance sounded breathless as she slid into the frame with Kerone and glanced at the screen. "Seriously, don't worry. I got into a little scuffle with Darkonda, that's all."

And she couldn't morph, not and maintain her cover on the Dark Fortress. Kerone might have told her soldiers she was disguising people as Rangers, but a spy who could fight like one where any minion could see would cause problems. Ashley looked hassled, and her hands were bloody.

"Why is he still on this ship!" Kerone burst out, taking Ashley's hands and inspecting them where they could all see. "You don't know how many times I've tried to get rid of him!"

"It's okay," Ashley told her. "I'd have morphed if I thought we were really going to get into it. I think he'll avoid me for a while now."

"I think it's safer on the surface," Kerone said with a sigh. "I want to send you down there again."

"Someone needs to stay with you," Ashley insisted. Her tone was that of someone repeating the same words for the third or fourth time. "This ship has magical defenses, and all it would take is someone turning them against you and you'd be in as much danger as any of us."

"Andros." TJ's voice got his attention but seemed to be too quiet to distract the girls on the skyport screen. He jerked his head toward them when Andros glanced at him. "Is that true?"

Andros nodded. "She designed those defenses," he said, just as quietly. "It'd be hard to turn them on her, but if it happened, she'd need backup."

"Maybe someone else should be up there with them," TJ muttered.

Andros was very aware that Ashley and Kerone had stopped arguing and were now devoting their combined efforts to figuring out what TJ was talking about. "Can't do it," he said, raising his voice just enough that everyone could hear. "The Dark Fortress knows Ashley. The rest of us would just put Kerone at risk."

"They know you?" Carlos asked incredulously. He directed the question at the screen rather than at Andros.

"Her counterpart was a prisoner here last year," Kerone offered. "She got away by pretending to be a spy. Astronema was the only one who knew she was a Ranger."

"Everyone else thinks I'm a smuggler named Aisling," Ashley added. "Or that's what Astronema told them," she said, glancing at Kerone. "I'm pretty sure Ecliptor isn't the only one who doesn't buy it."

"He may have been more involved than I know," Kerone said, frowning a little. "But I have to assume he wasn't."

"So Astronema's been helping the Rangers for a while now," TJ guessed, looking from the screen to Andros for confirmation.

"I don't know," Andros admitted. Kerone didn't jump in, so he continued, "Kerone was a Ranger in this dimension. She was captured when KO-35 was invaded. Her memory must have been suppressed, because Astronema doesn't remember anything before the Dark Fortress."

When he paused, Ashley added, "She visited our dimension a little while ago and asked us to help put her in contact with the Free Systems. She said Ashley--the Ashley from her dimension--had made her think that she might be fighting for the wrong side."

"Might be?" TJ repeated. He didn't look at all happy with the explanation. "There's a big difference between 'might be' and 'is.'"

"It's a little late to have that discussion again," Kerone put in. "We helped her. So far it's worked out all right."

"Kerone's here now," Andros added. "She's got things under control. We have to help her keep it that way. Zhane will make sure Astronema doesn't do any damage in our dimension."

"Speaking of having things under control." Kerone was looking at Ashley's hands again, but she shot a meaningful look at the screen when she spoke. "The more you use those zords, the faster my people are going to figure out that there really are Rangers here."

Andros had already thought of that. "Do you want us to ground them? We could use the zords, but the way things are going, we'll be all right without them."

"No," Kerone said, getting up and walking out of the screen's range. Ashley was watching her, and they could still hear her talking. "They're going to know eventually. There's only so long I can pretend that the reports of real Rangers on the surface are just hopeful citizens fooled by glamour."

She stepped back onto the screen holding a bowl, which she set down in front of Ashley without a word. Ashley gave it a skeptical look, but she put her hands in without being told. She winced as she did it, and Andros wondered what exactly was in the bowl.

"Do whatever you want with the zords," Kerone added, looking at the screen again. "There isn't a quantron on this ship that I don't control--not anymore. I can deal with whatever happens here."

"Maybe we should stay with the zords," Carlos put in. "What if whatever brought us here can send us back? If we go without the zords, it's going to be a problem."

"That's true," Andros agreed. He couldn't help but think of his and Ashley's zords, inactive without pilots to reinforce the teammates they'd left behind. "You'd better stay with them as much as possible."

"No one's gone back without Kerone sending them since you guys got here," Karen pointed out. "And that was days ago. I'm starting to wonder if maybe whatever brought us here only works one way."

"Guys, that's good," Ashley said into the silence that followed. "Look, if we can't be sent back unexpectedly that makes our situation here way more stable. It's better if we can count on each other instead of wondering who's going to be next."

"But if whatever brought us here doesn't send us home," Carlos observed, "and the ID portal is breaking down, then how are we going to get back?"

"Let's try to figure out what's going on before we try to change it," Andros said firmly.

"Because in the meantime?" Ashley added. She looked more determined than battered and just as optimistic as she sounded. "We have a planet to free."

13. Remember Me

Zhane didn't like to be alone, so he'd enlisted Magic's help as soon as he realized what Astronema was doing. It had taken him days to figure it out, which wasn't going to impress Andros any when he got back, but hey, he was under a little bit of pressure here. And honestly, the weirdness factor alone should get him some leeway.

Astronema was banishing everyone he liked through the dimensional portal. Childish, maybe, but after careful observation, undeniable. He could only hope she wasn't doing it on purpose because if she had that kind of control and she was using it against them, they were screwed.

He'd rather believe that she was doing it by accident. She was obviously linked to the ID portal somehow, and for some bizarre reason that he couldn't explain, she wanted him to like her. So any time she sensed competition for her attention, she eliminated it.

It left him afraid to talk to anyone. They were under siege here, and he couldn't afford to lose any more Rangers. He could talk to Magic, though, and for the first time he was glad that switching zords with Astronema had left him cut off from Zip. The Silver cat was a great zord, but he didn't communicate the way Magic did.

Zhane got Magic to contact DECA, and through her, Ty and the Elisian Rangers. He told Saryn to follow Astronema's movements on the surface, to take out the quantrons she was deactivating for them--preferably without her knowing. He told Mirine to stop screwing up Marsie's defense formations and park the rest of her zord fleet in front of the ID portal, establishing a screen instead of a mop-up response. He told Ty to get out of the fight and find Kristet, because he thought he knew where the abersiia was coming from.

And he told DECA to stay low and distract Kae from his "game" at regular intervals, because if Kerone came back and found out that he'd let her kid play battleship gunner with real live velocifighters she would either be furious or frighteningly ecstatic. He wasn't sure which, but either way he was pretty sure he'd want to temper her response as much as possible by assuring her that "it was only a few times."

The plan worked for longer than he'd expected: the Elisian Rangers and the KPD managed to coexist, Astronema's quantrons were really "neutralized," and the number of velocifighters coming through the portal started to decline. To the point where ground-based incursions became non-existent, and Astronema stopped teleporting across the surface of the planet to return to the space battle with Zip.

That was when the problems began. He noticed that she sounded tired the moment she was on a constant comm with him again, and he turned her tone over and over in his mind while he tried to figure out why. Okay, they weren't getting as much sleep as they could be, and their schedules were confused and drawn-out and didn't overlap as much as they should--but none of that could be new to Astronema.

It wasn't until the comm went dead altogether and Magic used words to relay what was probably a wordless message from Zip that he put it all together. He could have cheerfully banged his head against the console for not thinking of it earlier. Andros was going to have a field day when he got back.

Astrea didn't get tired. Not like this, not so easily, not without serious overuse of her magic. She didn't get hungry, either, and Astronema had been eating as regularly as any of them since she'd arrived. But what really should have tipped him off was the fact that Astrea couldn't use a morpher--because Astrea wasn't human.

Astronema was. And they had never bothered to vaccinate her, because hello, princess of evil with superspecial magical powers. She'd been all over the planet in the last few days, and what was even worse than the fact that she'd picked up abersiia was the fact that she'd probably been spreading it ever since.

He told Magic to have Zip return to the hangar. He sent Ty up in his place and he followed them down. And that was when he knew they'd made a mistake in having Astronema stay on the Megaship, because as soon as Zip tried to enter the hangar with Astronema, DECA scanned her, found the virus, and locked them out.

Zhane asked, somewhat incredulously, why she hadn't bothered to run medical scans on people coming and going from the Megaship if she was doing it automatically for anyone with access to the hangar. The response was a somewhat predictable, "because you didn't tell me to," which made him roll his eyes. He had to go into the hangar himself to pick up DECA's abersiia cure and bring it out to Astronema, who was unconscious by now and disturbingly vulnerable in her armor.

It took hours for the thing to work. It was tempting to just stare at her until she opened her eyes, willing her alert again, but logic won and he sent her back to the Megaship and told DECA to call him when she woke up. He needed some answers about the ID portal and her use of it before he did anything else.

It turned out that he didn't need DECA to let him know after all. He knew when Astronema woke up because Ty and Fauna vanished without a trace--and halfway around the planet, the ID portal warped spectacularly. To the point where a velocifighter that had been in transit at the time just disintegrated, torn apart by structural stress in the long seconds of distortion. The portal returned to normal, at least as far as any of them could tell, but Zhane was suddenly that much more appreciative of Astrea's decision to keep everyone she had on the other side of it for now.

"I want him back," he told Astronema the moment he strode into the medical bay. "I'm sick of this game, Astronema. Bring back my friends or I'm sending you through the portal next."

She spun, her back to the medical synthetron as she glowered at him like a cornered cat. "What did you do to me?" she demanded. "Why am I here?"

"You did it to yourself," Zhane informed her. "That kid you brought through with you last time wasn't the only sick slave on KO-35, was he. When you started opening doors between our two dimensions, the virus spread from your planet to ours."

"That's ridiculous," she snapped. "The only things coming through that portal are velocifighters."

"You're connected to it, aren't you," Zhane continued. "You're using it to open rifts all over the planet. Our people aren't seeing hallucinations; they're seeing your people, and your people are passing the abersiia virus from one side of the rift to the other."

"I don't know anything about a virus," Astronema retorted. "Or hallucinations, or the health of slaves, or whether that child had anything but a dirty face and bad luck."

"Well, you know about the virus now," Zhane told her, "because you have it. That's what knocked you out, that's why you're here in the medical bay on the Megaship, and that's why you're not leaving the Megaship until DECA can promise me you're not contagious."

"If I were contagious you'd be sick too," Astronema said scathingly. "You and all your precious friends."

"I've been vaccinated. Just like everyone coming into the hangar except you, because our Kerone couldn't get sick. We didn't realize you could until it was too late."

"How efficient of you," she sneered.

Zhane glared at her. "Bring my friends back, Astronema. You aren't doing your side any good by sending fully armed Rangers into the middle of the fighting."

"What makes you think I have anything to do with it?" she demanded. "Dark Spectre created that ID portal, not me. He wanted revenge on the dimension that cast him out. He wanted to find the person that betrayed him to enemy forces and turned his flagship against him. So he--made..."

She broke off, her eyes widening. For a long moment, she just stared at him, her face slowly paling behind the glamour. Zhane didn't bother to tell her what she had obviously just figured out. It made sense that Dark Spectre wouldn't have told her about her own role in his destruction.

"It was me," Astronema said softly. Suddenly she looked very lost. "I betrayed him, didn't I."

He tried not to sigh. "You did what you thought was right," he told her. "It wasn't an easy decision."

"How would you know?" The retort was half-hearted at best, and he didn't rise to the challenge in her voice.

"You told me," he said quietly. It was so strange, looking at her now, seeing the same confusion he had seen on Astrea's face back then. "When you found out that evil had lied to you, that Power Rangers hadn't destroyed your home and that some of your family was still alive... you struggled with that for a long time.

"You helped me, sometimes," Zhane added. "Before you knew I was a Ranger, and then even afterwards. You kept the Dark Fortress out of a fight that could have destroyed my friends. That was when Ecliptor finally confronted you, and you had to choose."

"I chose... you?" She looked skeptical.

"You brought a lot of information with you when you defected," Zhane told her. "It was enough to take down Dark Spectre. You ended up in one of the zords that defeated him."

"I chose you?" she repeated, as though she was refusing to hear anything else.

"I think you chose the truth," he said simply. "I think you chose what you thought you'd lost over what you thought you'd found, because one turned out to be true and the other wasn't."

"I'm not a child," Astronema interrupted. "I know the truth."

"Is Andros your brother?" Zhane countered. When she hesitated, he added, "How long have you known Ecliptor? Where were you before the Dark Fortress? Why don't you remember?"

"Because it's not important," she snapped. "I know what I need to know to accomplish my goals."

"What goals?" Zhane pressed. "The greater glory of Dark Spectre? The Border mutiny and a rise to power in his place? Or a rebel alliance with the Free Systems that will put you back on the same side you started on?"

"Get away from me," she hissed. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then I'm in good company," he informed her. "Dark Spectre used you, Astronema. He linked you to your traitorous counterpart in this dimension for the sole purpose of destroying you both and sending as much of KO-35 with you as he could."

There was cold fury in her gaze as her staff appeared in a sparkle of violet. "I am the princess of evil. I can not be destroyed and I will not be used. If you think manipulating me to your own ends will serve any purpose but your own demise--"

"Then I would have tried it a long time ago!" Zhane burst out. "I'm the Silver Ranger on a team that's still cajoling its way into power! I could tell you anything and make you believe it because that's what I do! But I'm not! I'm telling you the truth, because I know you already know it, and I don't know how many more times I have to repeat myself!"

The staff spun in her fingers and he didn't have time to evade the outpouring of energy before violet electricity slammed into his chest. It knocked him back against the nearest solid object, the patient bed banging into his side, catching him, holding him up as he planted one hand and flung the other one back toward her. The telekinetic shove hit her harder than the staff attack and she went down with a startled cry.

He kept his hand outstretched as he straightened up, yanking her staff away from her and throwing it away when it flew into his hand. "If you think I won't fight you because you look like someone I love," he said through gritted teeth, "then you're sadly mistaken."

Astronema stared up at him, frozen where she was for a long moment. Instead of the fury he had expected to see on her face, there was only surprise. That was the only warning he had before the medical bay was gone and it was his own face staring back at him.

Zhane clapped his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut and giving his head a shake. He was surprised when he felt it, felt his head move the way he wanted it to and saw the world go dark when he closed his eyes. They snapped open again as he glared at Astronema.

"Don't do that," he burst out, reeling from the sudden perspective shift. "Could you at least ask before you... hey," he interrupted himself with a frown. "Are you all right?"

She hadn't moved from her place on the floor. Familiar hazel eyes peered out at him from behind magic that hadn't concealed those features in a long time. "I know you," she whispered.

The dizzying rush of someone else's memories came flooding back into his mind, and he saw his own planet through her eyes--his own planet as it might have been, had the forces of evil left them alone just a little longer. He saw Kerone, a young woman in yellow with an astromorpher and a ready smile. He saw Andros, the confident leader of a Ranger team that had grown up together in the farthest reaches of Border space.

He saw himself. He saw himself as she had seen him, a rebellious dockworker who had caught the Red Ranger's eye by disobeying an evacuation order and sticking around to watch his back in a quantron battle. No connections, no responsibilities, not even a steady job or a permanent place to live. A drifter, potentially dangerous, his motives for charming Andros past all caution or common sense a mystery...

Until the day he told her he was in love. Until the day he said the words and she believed him, and she promised to do anything she could to get the media off their backs. Until the day she told Andros what he said, and Andros worried and wavered but didn't walk away.

That was when she had known that this drifter might become one of the most shattering things to ever happen to their team.

Zhane couldn't change what he was seeing. He couldn't affect the flash of memories too swift and sharp to be controlled. He had no choice but to follow along, no real conscious thought outside of her own remembered curiosity--and somehow, that was enough.

Somehow, she had found out who he really was, and the part of their shared flashback that was Zhane could see where it diverged from his own memories. Somewhere along the line, he and Andros had missed each other, missed the connection that had held him when his parents died, missed the bond that would keep him from becoming a runaway at an impossibly early age. Never taken in by his grandparents, never rescued from the rubble in the wake of an attack by the only remaining Ranger...

He had made it on his own. He had never known the odds against it, and somehow that orphaned, identity-less child had made a place for himself among the anonymous crowds of the seasonal sea trade. He had taken what he had and reveled in it. But when he and Andros finally encountered each other, years later, the widening gulf between them should have been impossible to bridge--save for that one little coincidence, hand of fate, act of god, or lucky circumstance that caused their eyes to meet.

*I know you,* Astronema's voice whispered again, but the words were silent this time, held entirely within his mind.

Suddenly, she was looking over his shoulder, seeing in his own memories what had happened to the team from KO-35. Her Rangers had never retreated to Rayven, had never been forced out by invasion or the threat of siege. They had never given up their morphers in the ensuing chaos and fear, but had held them successfully until the entire Border fell to the advancing armies of Dark Spectre.

She saw, through his eyes, the smaller wars that had kept the monarchy from encircling half the League. She saw herself leaving the Dark Fortress, joining the team she had never been a part of, and bringing down the entity that had tried to raise her to power at his right hand. She saw her own newfound peace, the quiet calm that offset her habitual temper, and the phenomenal magic she was still trying to control.

She saw the romance they had played at since before she defected. He wasn't surprised by her curiosity, given what he'd just seen in her mind, but he didn't appreciate it either. It wasn't her life, they weren't her memories, and he didn't owe this Astronema anything.

He would never know if it was something he did that threw her out of his mind or not. But the next thing he knew he was bracing himself against the patient bed again as the artificial gravity went haywire and the words I know you echoed strangely in his ears. It didn't take him long to realize that it was his head spinning, not the room, and lowering himself clumsily to the floor did seem to help.

That was when he opened his eyes and saw Astronema.

Not Astronema, he realized, staring at the silver phoenix charm twisted over her arm in the spill of curly turqoise hair. Astronema hadn't been wearing it--why would she?--and maybe it was one strand among many in the glamour she had donned as the princess of evil, but it was one he could never overlook.

Not Astronema at all, but Kerone. Astrea.

He saw her crack one eye open without moving, and only then did he notice that she wasn't breathing. "Astrea?" he asked quietly, and both her eyes opened at that. It was a name she probably didn't hear anywhere else.

DECA's voice interrupted, and that probably convinced her it was safe as much as anything. "I am detecting Fauna in the upper atmosphere," she announced. "Along with Mega Vs one through five."

There was a pause, and Astrea sat up quickly, still staring around but embracing a violet glow that looked almost absent-minded in its thoroughness. Her glamour faded completely and her armor transformed in matter of seconds. She was wearing her Kerovan uniform again by the time DECA added, "I have located the Red and Yellow Power signatures on the surface of KO-35."

That was everyone, Zhane thought, a little wildly. What had just happened? One moment he was reliving the abbreviated version of Astronema's life before Dark Spectre, and the next he was on the floor with the cavalry streaming in from every direction.

"We're back," Astrea said, the hint of a question in her voice.

"Hey." Zhane slid across the floor toward her and pulled her into an embrace. "What do you know," he whispered in her ear. "You're back."

He heard her soft sound of amusement as she hugged him back tightly. "I missed you," she murmured. "I didn't realize how much advice you give me until it was gone."

*Zhane?*

It might have been the first time he'd completely relaxed in days. He felt the tension drain out of him at the sound of that voice, and it left his body trembling in its wake. *Andros.*

He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Astrea rubbed his back soothingly and whispered, "He's okay. I kept him out of trouble for you."

*Where are you?* Andros demanded, followed immediately by, *The Megaship? What's going on? Are the Elisians still here? You're working in shifts? DECA says you were with Astronema; are you okay?*

He felt laughter trying to force its way out, and maybe it was the effort to contain it that made him shake or maybe it was the unsteady feeling of incipient hysteria. He felt Astrea hugging him harder, and he didn't even know whether he was responding to the ridiculous suggestion that anyone could possibly keep Andros out of trouble, or the fact that Andros himself was obviously asking DECA the same things he was asking Zhane and just as fast--only DECA was keeping up.

Maybe Astronema's memory trick had set him reeling, he thought distantly, and this was just shock. That was it. He was in shock. That would explain a lot.

"Zhane?" Astrea was asking quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," he mumbled, closing his eyes against the rest of the world. He was relinquishing responsibility for three separate Ranger teams, giving up control of the KPD, and getting his lover back all at the same time. "I'm just peachy."

*Zhane,* Andros insisted. He was starting to sound worried, and for some reason Zhane found that funny. *Are you okay?*

*Stop asking me that!* Zhane shouted silently. *Of course I'm not okay! I've spent the last four days watching everyone I care about disappear!*

*And we spent them touring a slave planet that looked suspiciously like our home,* Andros replied mildly. *Is Kerone with you? DECA says she thinks so, but she can't tell for sure. Do you want us in our zords or back at the hangar?*

"Velocifighter encroachment has ceased," DECA remarked.

It took a moment for that to sink in, but finally he lifted his head from Astrea's shoulder to stare at the nearest camera. "There aren't any more velocifighters coming through the ID portal?"

*The hangar,* he thought immediately, knowing Andros would be hearing the same report. *And she's here. She's fine.*

"There are not," DECA confirmed. "My scanners can no longer detect the portal at all."

Because it was invisible when it was dormant, Zhane knew. Not because anything else had changed. Still, any pause in the bombardment was appreciated, and under his breath he muttered, "Thank you, Astronema."

"She did this," Astrea said quietly, partly statement and partly question. "She's helping us?"

"Kerone!" The shout was so utterly unexpected that Zhane tensed, despite that fact that every sense he had told him there was no threat. No inner alarm went off, no danger had snuck up on them--but he was still surprised when Kae shoved his way under his arms and pressed himself close against Astrea's side.

Astrea lowered one arm to wrap around his thin shoulders. She hugged both of them for one peaceful, blissful moment. Zhane wondered absently why DECA had allowed Kae to come to the medical bay if she wasn't sure that Astronema was gone.

It was DECA who interrupted them now. "I am detecting an energy buildup concurrent with the location of the interdimensional portal," she reported.

Zhane groaned, refusing to let go of either of the people he held. "What now?"

"I am not certain," DECA admitted, after an almost unnoticeable pause. "Preliminary data seem to indicate that the portal has been rendered inoperative."

"What?" Zhane sat up straight. "How? How can you tell?"

"I base my conclusion on the explosive blast that seems to have originated from the location of the ID portal," DECA said primly. "If you wish to discuss my interpretation of this event, you will need to review a quantity of data that I estimate will take you two point four hours to adequately process."

Zhane gave her camera a dirty look. "You just make those numbers up," he accused.

The red light blinked innocently at him. "It will take you much more than two point four hours to substantiate speculation like that," she informed him.

"To substantiate it?" he repeated. "Not, to realize the error of my ways?"

"The ID portal blew up?" Astrea said pointedly. "How many velocifighters were left on this side?"

"Of the sixty-eight velocifighters in Kerovan space at the time of the explosion," DECA replied, "fifty-two remain."

"Tell Marsie the portal's been shut down," Zhane said. "Tell her to keep a wing in the air and two on standby after those velocifighters are gone, and get the zords to regroup at the hangar when they're done out there."

"Andros has already issued identical instructions," DECA said gently.

"Oh." Zhane shook his head once. "Yeah. Right. That's fine then."

"Five," Kae whispered, so softly that Zhane wasn't sure what he'd heard at first. But he saw the worried look on Astrea's face and he guessed. He was proven right when Kae repeated, more audibly now, "Five."

"Maybe we should go back to the hangar ourselves," Astrea suggested.

Zhane agreed, and he was getting ready to stand up when Kae leaned back from his determined hug and looked Astrea right in the eye. "Five," he said, very clearly. Very calmly.

Astrea studied him for a moment. "Five what?" she asked at last.

There was no sign of the looming temper tantrum that had followed his use of the word "five" in the past. In fact, Zhane's eyes widened in surprise when Kae replied, "Five can shoot."

Astrea caught his eye over Kae's head, returning his startled expression with a look of confusion. Busted, Zhane thought. "He's been using the Megalasers," he offered warily. "Turns out he's got some serious targeting skills."

Astrea stared at him for a long moment before switching her gaze back to Kae. Zhane didn't think for one second that he wasn't going to be hearing about this again. But for now, her attention was focused on Kae, who seemed to be waiting patiently for--something.

"Are you Five?" Astrea asked him carefully.

His expression didn't change, but he seemed to lighten somehow. Zhane could tell the question made him happy. The answer surprised him as much as the muted happiness. "Yes," Kae said, as though he understood exactly what she'd asked. "Five can shoot."

"Who taught you to shoot?" Zhane asked without thinking.

Kae froze, casting a furtive glance in his direction and sinking toward Astrea again. "It's all right," Astrea said in a matter-of-fact voice. It wasn't the soothing tone she'd used on him before she and Astronema switched dimensions, but strangely it seemed to reassure him more. "I'm glad you can shoot. That's very useful."

"Yes," Kae agreed immediately, though he still looked like he wanted to huddle against her chest. "Ship made Five useful."

"You're useful because of a ship?" Astrea repeated, her tone encouraging but not particularly intent. "A ship taught you to shoot?"

Kae stiffened, and after a moment he turned and buried his face in her shirt. His mumbled words were barely audible. "Ship likes Five."

"Good," Astrea said, putting her arm around his shoulders as though that made perfect sense. "I like you too."

Kae didn't answer this time, but he clutched her shirt tighter. He didn't move, even to lift his head. Zhane didn't even know what had made him start talking, let alone what had made him stop. He glanced at DECA's camera inquiringly.

"It's possible there was an AI on one of the ships that transported him," she offered. "Most likely the one whose crew was harvesting his blood, since it is reasonable to assume he was on that ship for a significant length of time. The AI may have taught him to use a holographic interface to fire the ship's weapons, either under orders or of its own volition, in order to make his continued existence more profitable to the crew."

"Or to get him better living conditions," Astrea murmured, patting the boy's head gently. "He wouldn't need to be in particularly good health to produce blood, but regular rest and food would improve his weapons' reflexes."

"You said the other day that he was talking to you," Zhane told DECA's camera. "Did you talk about this? Has he said anything else about it?"

"He has volunteered little more information than he just told you, albeit in different forms," DECA answered. "He does seem to be more vocal when alone in my presence than in anyone else's."

"Which kind of supports the AI idea," Zhane remarked thoughtfully.

*Are you coming back to the hangar?* Andros' voice interrupted. *The Earth Rangers are already setting down, and the Elisians are on their way.*

"I am detecting no further velocifighter activity in Kerovan space," DECA announced. In light of Andros' comments, it was hard to say whether she considered that "keeping them informed" or not.

"We should go," Astrea said. "The others will be gathering at the hangar."

"The hangar's going to be chaos," Zhane declared.

She was right, of course. They had to go. And he was right too: the hangar was chaos personified. Cat Central had never seen so many Rangers, let alone so many at the same time. The cats loved it.

Kae hated it. He was instantly terrified, which seemed worse than it could have been considering how unusually talkative he had been just a few minutes before. Astrea hurried him upstairs, probably to her room where she could magic a distraction for him or maybe convince him to get some sleep. DECA had mentioned that Kae was reluctant to sleep on the Megaship.

Kae was going to take more explaining than the cats. Ashley tried to start, Zhane jumped in to help her, and TJ overrode both of them with a laugh. "Introductions first," he insisted, nodding at Gabe. "Does everyone know our newest Ranger?"

It turned out that Ty didn't, nor did most of the Elisians. Saryn was the only one on his team who had met Carlos' brother before, and when Kristet showed up a few minutes later it started all over again. She didn't so much as blink at the three teams assembled in the hangar, but then, she was also the only one recording everything that was said.

Introductions aside, Kristet's arrival postponed any further explanations until she had delivered her messages. Or rather, her instructions, thinly veiled as requests, to which Andros gave priority. "We have to go," he told the others. "I'm sorry we can't offer you more in the way of hospitality right now."

Zhane shot him a surprised look that faded into a smile when Andros returned his gaze with raised eyebrows and a faintly questioning air. *Look at you,* Zhane thought. *Being polite when you don't have to be. There's hope for you yet.*

"Is there anything we can do?" Mirine was asking. "If there were anything wrong back home, we'd know. And the Defense isn't exactly rushing in to fill the void."

"We're under quarantine," Zhane reminded her.

"Due to a contagion that has no history of spreading through the vacuum of space," Saryn added. "Defense wings should have been here days ago. Someone will have to answer for that."

"There's nothing we can do about it right now," Andros said, sounding vaguely impatient. "We won't keep you away from your planets any longer."

"Hey, Earth is safe," Carlos put in. "We're not going anywhere until we get some answers."

"Elisia will want us back as soon as possible," Mirine offered reluctantly. "But we're at your back door whenever you need us."

"Thanks," Zhane told her, making sure her entire team got his message. "This was a really great thing you did here."

"We owe you," Andros added. "We won't forget this, Mirine."

Mirine nodded once. "I want to talk to you when you've gotten this cleared up," she told him. "Saryn isn't kidding about dealing with the Defense. Elisia could secede over this."

"Calijyt might follow," Saryn said quietly.

That made Andros frown, but all he said was, "I'll contact you as soon as we've stabilized the situation here."

It wasn't that simple, of course, since most of the Earth Rangers wanted to talk to Saryn before he left, never mind that Kristet was practically vibrating with impatience. TJ finally came over to join her and Andros just as Andros was telling her that they needed someone on zord patrol. Kristet apparently didn't care who it was as long as it wasn't Andros, Zhane, Ashley, or Ty. Whether she really didn't mind Astrea doing it or was just fully aware that Astrea wasn't going to leave Kae, Zhane couldn't tell.

"Look, we'll handle it," TJ was saying. "If you guys have other stuff you need to take care of, we can fly around the planet and check things out."

"The KPD will want a system patrol, too," Andros told him.

"Tell us where to go," TJ agreed. "No problem."

Privately, Zhane suspected that TJ was looking for a way to entertain himself while Kristet kept the Kerovan Rangers busy. Zhane couldn't blame him, either. He was already more tired than he should be, and anything that Kristet was this impatient about couldn't be easy. He wouldn't have minded a nice, simple patrol flight.

It turned out that he got to do the press conference. It was probably the easiest job they could have given him, and the last one that anyone else on the team would want to do. So it was convenient.

He was pretty sure that the others had ended up with equally familiar responsibilities. Andros got to talk to the Council, while Ashley was dispatched to deal with the Planetary Health Authority. Ty, interestingly, was Kristet's PD liaison. Zhane was too distracted to figure out what that meant--and he was certain it meant something, since Kristet was perfectly comfortable talking to Marsie herself.

By the time he made it back to the hangar, though, he didn't care enough to wonder. Ashley, lucky woman that she was, had gotten back before him, but she was the only one. The only one other than all five of the Earth Rangers, and it was strangely disconcerting to see all of them taking up space in the hangar's living area.

It was also a little bit... crowded.

Funny, he thought, assessing the situation, that he could find such a small group crowd-like. Andros must be rubbing off on him. Or maybe it was just the very atypical feel of strangers in this place that he called home.

There was nothing for it but to throw himself down next to Ashley and pretend it didn't bother him. "Hey," he said, slinging an arm over her shoulders and managing a grin for the greetings that flew his way. "So what have you all been up to?"

"Fighting evil in another dimension," Karen replied promptly, and he didn't have to work at the smirk he shot her way. Karen was easy to please, and right now he really liked that about her.

Ashley poked him gently in the stomach. "I was just telling them about the Dark Fortress, and Astronema, and what Kae's doing here," she informed him.

"Oh, good." He made himself more comfortable. "Do tell."

"Forget it," she retorted, poking him again. She sounded amused, but the nudge was less gentle this time. "Tell us what happened here while we were all gone. How did we get back here?"

"How did we get over there in the first place?" Carlos corrected.

"Yeah, and does Andros always let your PR agent boss him around like that?" TJ asked with a grin.

"Did you really have Kae shooting down velocifighters from the Megaship?" Ashley wanted to know.

Zhane considered all that for a moment. "Don't know," he said at last. "Astronema sent you through the ID portal. No," he told TJ, then caught Ashley's eye and added, "Yes."

It made Ashley laugh. "You're terrible," she announced, but she snuggled against his side instead of poking him in the stomach again and he thought that wasn't much incentive to be good in the future.

"I thought the ID portal was stationary." Carlos had clearly figured out which was the answer to his question. "How could Astronema have sent us through it if we were all in different places at the time?"

"I don't know," Zhane said with a sigh. "I think she's connected to it somehow; either on purpose by Dark Spectre or by accident because she created it. She seemed surprised when I suggested it, but when she remembered who she was everyone went back where they belonged and the portal shut down. That can't be a coincidence."

"She remembered who she was?" Ashley murmured, not lifting her head off of his shoulder. "That she's Kerone, you mean?"

"Yeah." He rubbed her shoulder absently, lifting his hand to brush her hair back when the motion made it fall forward. "I guess I said something that reminded her of the other me in her own dimension, and after that she seemed to remember pretty fast."

"So you're saying," TJ said slowly, "that Astronema was basically willing people from one dimension to another?"

Zhane thought about that. "Yeah," he said at last. "That's what I think she was doing."

"Okay," Karen said, into the sudden silence. "That's crazy."

"Thought you said nothing about the Power made sense the first time you heard it," Zhane teased her.

"It didn't make any sense the second time you said it, either," Karen informed him. "And what does Astronema have to do with the Power, anyway?"

"She held the Power in her dimension," he offered, wondering if Kerone knew or had found out somehow. "She was the Yellow Astro Ranger. She wasn't captured by evil until KO-35 was invaded."

Ashley stirred a little, but she didn't say anything.

"Did you say Astronema created the ID portal?" TJ wanted to know.

"I don't know," Zhane admitted. "She might have. I guess it's more likely that Dark Spectre made it, but it sure looked like Astronema destroyed it."

"That's a lot of power," TJ remarked. "Even if she didn't create it... it sounds like she controlled it."

Astrea's magic was getting still getting stronger. She said someday it would level out--although how she knew, he had no idea--but he hadn't seen any signs of that happening yet. He also didn't see any reason to tell TJ about it, since it wasn't even his story to share. So he made a noncommittal sound, noted that Ashley didn't volunteer any further information either, and waited until someone got bored with the quiet.

It was Gabe who finally spoke, and Zhane wondered what Tessa was thinking about over there. She had been listening to Ashley with everyone else when he came in, but he hadn't heard a single word from her since they returned to the hangar. She was, he thought, the most analytical member of the current Earth team, and maybe as a scientist she preferred to gather a certain amount of data before speculating on it.

Or maybe she was still in awe of the hangar, the cats, and KO-35 in general. He didn't remember her ever visiting before, although he thought Ashley might have mentioned her being on Elisia at some point. Tessa seemed to relate more to the details of a situation than to the people in it.

"Just out of curiosity," Gabe was asking, "do things like this happen to you often?"

Carlos snickered, and Zhane could feel Ashley's muffled giggle. "Yeah," she admitted, from her place curled at his side. "Pretty much all the time."

"We're out of the loop," Carlos told his brother. "Turns out the less you have to actually use your morpher, the less weird stuff happens to you."

"So we trade weirdness for peace?" Gabe looked amused by the idea. "I think I'll take the peace, all things considered."

Carlos smirked. "Says the secret ninja instructor."

"To the Aquitian green card carrier," Ashley added without lifting her head.

"Hey, hey, what?" Carlos demanded, when Gabe and TJ both laughed. "It's not like we're married!"

"It'd be less weird if you were, bro," Gabe told him. "Trust me."

"Yeah, as it is, you... what--live there, study at home, and fight armies of darkness here?" Karen suggested. "That's practical. Carlos Thinly Spread Vargas."

"Like I'm going to take advice from the woman who told her parents she's working on a cruise ship this summer!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Hey, not everyone's family embraces the Power Rangers' legacy," Karen informed him. "'Gee, Mom, I'm going to be out of the galaxy for a couple of months. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe as long as the planet I'm on isn't attacked, invaded, or turned into an interdimensional portal that dumps me into the middle of a slave war. See you in the fall!'"

Carlos and Gabe exchanged glances, and then Carlos shrugged. "We try to downplay that part, actually."

Ashley shifted a little. "You know, I think Cassie did me a favor by getting pregnant," she mused. "It totally distracted my mom. And now she's so busy buying baby clothes for the twins that she doesn't ask about what's going on here so much."

TJ cleared his throat. "Speaking of that." He was looking pointedly at Ashley. "Your mom says if you don't call her soon, she's going to hijack a zord and come find you."

"I called her," Ashley said, and her tone was indignant even if her position didn't change. "No one was home. I left a message that said to call me back."

"When was that?" Zhane wondered aloud. "Before or after you disappeared into an alternate dimension?"

There was a pause, and Ashley sounded more subdued when she murmured, "Oh." She didn't ask if DECA was around, though, so he figured that if she had any messages she didn't want to know right now anyway.

Luckily, the conversation was interrupted by Andros' arrival. Zhane had his back to the rest of the hangar and didn't bother craning his neck to watch Andros approach. There was no reply to TJ's shouted greeting, though, so he knew Andros must have waved as he made his way over to join them.

"Is the Council still standing?" Karen asked, as he entered their circle and nodded to everyone in a sort of perfunctory acknowledgement.

"Sitting, mostly," Andros corrected. "Still sitting and talking while the schools shut down and the hospitals fill up."

"The role of government everywhere," Carlos put in.

"In their defense," Andros said with a sigh, glancing around as though looking for a place to sit, "it's hard to implement an effective quarantine against such a subtle disease."

"Especially when we don't know how many places were affected by interdimensional contamination." Zhane nodded at the other end of the couch he was sharing with Ashley, and Andros didn't have to be told twice.

"Not their problem," Ashley murmured, making a token effort at shifting toward him to give Andros more room. "They should be worrying about how to get supplies through local quarantines until there are enough vaccinations to keep more people from getting infected."

"What's this disease?" Carlos wanted to know. "Should we be worried?"

"You should be vaccinated," Andros said, sitting down--a little stiffly, Zhane thought--at the end of the couch. "DECA took care of all of us. Karen too, even though it looks like it doesn't affect her. She was still a carrier, and you might be too."

"It's totally curable," Karen offered. "And it starts out pretty mild, right? Just tiredness and kind of flu-like symptoms. But I guess you can die from it if it's not treated."

"Great," Gabe muttered, loud enough for all of them to hear him. "Something for my paranoia to work on."

"You walked on a broken ankle for two days," Carlos reminded him. "You're the anti-hypochondriac."

"Is DECA here?" Andros asked, glancing around.

"I'm here," DECA's voice answered. Her hologram coalesced instantly at the other end of the couch, and Zhane was amused to see some of the Earth Rangers jump.

"Still not used to that," he heard TJ tell Tessa ruefully.

"Would you get doses of the abersiia vaccine for the rest of the Earth Rangers?" Andros asked. "We don't need to help this thing spread."

"Certainly, Andros."

The vaccine arrived in the kitchen a moment later, and Ty walked in while Andros and TJ were getting it sorted out. Kristet wasn't with him. Zhane hoped that didn't mean she was still working. She'd covered their butts during the entire dimensional chaos, and she had to be at least as tired as they were.

"Did you make Kristet take some time off?" Zhane asked as soon as Ty was close enough.

Ty nodded, and that was a relief. "She went home for the rest of the day," he offered. "I told her she was welcome here, but she wanted some family time."

"Good." Zhane couldn't help thinking of Ma and Pa, and resolved to check in with them later to make sure they'd been screened for abersiia. "We're vaccinating the rest of the Earth Rangers and trying not to fall asleep before we eat."

"Sounds like a plan," Ty remarked, dropping into the chair TJ had vacated. "Just don't expect me to make anything. It's definitely a no-prep or nothing kind of day."

"I'm not sure we have enough food to feed everyone anyway," Ashley murmured. "We might have to go up to the Megaship and use the Synthetron."

"I'm not eating Synthetron food when we're at home," Zhane informed her. "Here we are on a perfectly good planet, with perfectly good restaurants and food spots and hostels, and you want to get your dinner from a machine."

"It is kind of an insult to Kerovan cuisine," Ty agreed solemnly.

"Also," he added, before Ashley could defend herself, "while we're not on the subject at all... Can someone explain to me, preferably in a paragraph or less, what happened to the ID portal and why no one's worried about us spontaneously disappearing to another dimension anymore?"

No one answered until Ashley poked him in the stomach, and Zhane sighed. Like he knew. "Dark Spectre was using Astronema to get revenge on this dimension," he said, pausing when Ty raised an eyebrow at him.

"The entire dimension?" he asked skeptically.

Zhane shrugged. "Our team in particular. He has reason not to like us." He wasn't totally sure he wanted to bring Astrea into this. He was still pretty sure she was Dark Spectre's main target, but what good would that knowledge do anyone right now?

Ty seemed to accept his explanation as it was. "You'll have to tell me that story someday," he said, looking vaguely amused. "But okay. Dark Spectre wants revenge. So... send quantrons through an interdimensional portal?"

"It's his most direct line of attack." Zhane could feel Andros watching him, listening, maybe mentally revising his explanation as he went. "But for some reason, Astronema was linked to the ID portal. I don't know how, and I don't know why," he added, before Ty could ask. "But I think she was the one sending all of you back to her dimension."

Ty considered that for a moment, but it was Ashley who asked, "Why do you think that?"

"Because I have magic intuition," Zhane told her. "Quiet."

He saw her lips twitch, but she obediently fell silent.

"When Astronema was here," he told Ty, "she remembered being Kerone there. As soon as she did, she and Astrea switched places again, you were all zapped back here, and a few minutes later the ID portal was destroyed."

"We think," Andros said quietly.

"We think," Zhane echoed. "So I'm guessing that maybe there's some kind of connection between Astronema and that portal." Ashley had obviously been listening earlier when he mentioned that he'd believed that even before Astronema disappeared and took the portal with her, but no one else called him on it.

Ty's burnished yellow gaze said he was thinking about it, though. He held Zhane's eyes until Andros asked, "Ty, did Kristet go home?"

Ty just nodded. Then he seemed to realize what Andros had asked, and his attention refocused. "We need to get her a military ID," he said. "Some of the security we passed gave her a hard time at first."

After the "at first," Zhane heard the unspoken "until they realized who I was." Andros must have heard it too. "I'll talk to Marsie about it tomorrow," he said. "We should be able to get her government clearance too, so she doesn't have to rely on DECA all the time."

"We need to get us some food today," Karen reminded them in her typically unsubtle way.

*Astrea?* Zhane asked silently.

*Here,* her voice answered. *Kae's sleeping. Is everyone back?*

*Yeah. We're talking about going out to get some food.*

*I'm going to stay with Kae,* she told him. *Bring me something back?*

*I'll give you the menu options as soon as I know what they are,* he promised.

"Wake up," Ashley whispered in his ear. "You want to eat on the riverfront or at the skyport?"

"Riverfront," he said immediately.

He could actually hear her smile. "You're lucky then," she told him, "'cause prevailing opinion agrees with you."

Zhane smiled back without turning his head. "That's not why I'm lucky," he murmured, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

14. Moving On

Kerone had redesigned one of the unconverted workrooms upstairs, and Ashley wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself. Tessa was bunking with Karen overnight, at Karen's invitation. Unfortunately, none of the Kerovan Rangers' rooms were really set up to accommodate guests anymore. Enter Kerone.

There had been a time, right after they moved into the hangar, when they could shuffle things around and find the room without too much trouble. But that had been during the winter, before they'd had time to settle in. Before Zhane's room had become their private social center, and Kerone's room had become Kae's closet substitute. Ty and Andros had never had shareable rooms, and gender issues prevented Ashley from offering hers.

So Kerone had turned an empty room into one that would sleep three, easily, and if no one had actually mentioned the trouble she had gone to in the presence of the Earth Rangers, well. Karen probably knew that there hadn't been any guest-ready rooms before tonight. Probably. But if she had said anything to her teammates then Ashley didn't know about it.

Truthfully, most of the Kerovan Rangers didn't know what to make of it either. Kerone hadn't been able to transfigure material on that scale a few months ago, but now she offered as nonchalantly as Ty offered to make them breakfast. Ashley wasn't sure if it was more about increasing power or skill, but after the way TJ had frowned over the Astronema from JT's dimension she didn't really want to bring it up right now.

She didn't feel like sleeping, either, and that at least seemed to be a common sentiment. She wasn't the only one still up when she tiptoed back down the stairs to check on the zords. Not that she had to be down there to talk to them, since all five of them were inside tonight and when they were in the hangar the catwalk was easily at eye level with them. But no one upstairs would hear her talking if she was down here, and she'd be able to touch Dawn's paw while she did it, so those were the winning points in her internal argument.

Or they were until she heard the quiet voices coming from the library. Pausing on the stairs, she leaned over the railing and caught sight of Zhane and Ty conferring over a holographic display that she couldn't quite make out. This despite the fact that they were both lying on the floor, the display spread out in front of them so that the angle from where she stood was perfectly readable.

Zhane's blonde head lifted as she started down the stairs again, and she saw him look around for the source of the noise before he realized who it was. He smiled. That made Ty look up too, and he waved when he saw her. Coming from Ty, that was an enthusiastic invitation, so she walked quietly over to join them.

"Hey," Ashley whispered. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just playing," Zhane said, sliding over into Ty so she could see past his shoulder. "You want in?"

She could see the animated characters on the screen waiting for them to return to the game, and she smiled when one of them waved at her. "I don't even know what you're playing."

"Neither does Zhane," Ty assured her. "He keeps trying to make all his characters get along."

"Well," Zhane said defensively. "Cooperation is the key to success."

"Not when you're trying to incite a political rebellion," Ty told him.

"Oh, are we?" Zhane looked blank. "I thought we were dogcatchers."

"I thought he'd be really good at this," Ty said, catching Ashley's eye over Zhane's back. "Because he's so good with the big picture in real life, you know? But apparently it doesn't translate into strategy games."

"It's because they're not real people," Ashley guessed. She folded herself up cross-legged on the other side of Zhane and studied the simulated city with interest. It was almost creepy in its attention to detail. "Andros is the one who's good at strategy. Zhane's good at people."

"Is there a difference?" Ty asked, a skeptical note in his voice.

Ashley held out both hands to indicate Zhane. "Example A," she said teasingly.

"I know my strengths," Zhane remarked, unperturbed. "And I'm kind of tired of talking about my weaknesses. If you don't mind."

Ashley opened her mouth, surprised and immediately apologetic, but Ty beat her to it. "You don't have any weaknesses," he said, leaning in to press a kiss against Zhane's cheek. "Stop being such a whiner."

To Ashley's surprise, Zhane laughed, and he put his head on Ty's shoulder for just a moment. "Ditto," he declared. His voice was both stronger and lighter than it had been just a few seconds ago, but the wink he gave Ashley made her feel better. Whatever she had done, he didn't hold it against her.

"Want to play?" Zhane invited again. "You can't do any worse than me."

"Any better, you mean." Ty shooed a couple of characters in her direction. "Here, have them set up a bakery or something."

She blinked. "A bakery?"

"We can use it as a front for our effigies business," Ty said seriously. So seriously she wondered if she'd heard him correctly, but when Zhane laughed again she thought she probably had.

"Effigies R Us," he agreed. "I'm totally in on that part of the plan. I'm just not sure if it's working for the provisional government or the rebellion."

Ty nudged his shoulder. "It's working for anyone who wants an effigy, of course. We're providing a service here. We don't discriminate based on political affiliation."

"I think that might be morally questionable," Ashley ventured.

Ty leaned forward to stare at her around Zhane. "We're selling effigies."

"Yeah," Zhane said with a grin. "I think that's what she's talking about."

"It's not the sale of effigies," Ashley said thoughtfully. "It's using the bakery as a front. If Effigies R Us can survive in a capitalist market, then it's a legitimate business. If it can't, it shouldn't hide behind cake and brownies."

"It's not hiding from failure," Ty remarked. "It's hiding from the government, which--and this is just a guess--probably won't like having its leaders' likenesses burned at rebel rallies."

"No one said the effigies would be burned," Zhane interrupted. "Maybe they're just going to be used as decorations. You don't know."

"That's true, they might not be burned," Ty agreed. "Some effigies are hanged."

Ashley stared at the little city, where the characters were still patiently wandering or talking amongst themselves. "Why can't we just sell cookies?" she wanted to know. "Wouldn't it be easier to open an actual bakery?"

"Well, yeah, if you just wanted to provide any service," Ty said, his tone making it clear that he was not on board with this idea.

Ashley tried not to smile at his skepticism. "Don't we?"

"No." Ty sounded exasperated. "Were you listening when I mentioned overthrowing the government? Effigies are an important expression of public opinion."

"Editorials are an important expression of public opinion," Zhane countered. "Effigies are usually an expression of mob politicking and riots."

"It's a game," Ty reminded him. "The whole point is to do things you wouldn't do in real life."

Zhane didn't answer right away, and when Ashley glanced at him she found she couldn't identify the look she saw on his face. "Wow," he said at last, when he realized they were both looking at him now. "That's a weird thing to have repeated back to you."

Ashley looked at Ty, but he didn't look any more enlightened than she felt. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head once and a smile appeared. "Nothing, it's just funny. I used to say that to Andros. Back when we were all on the Megaship, I mean. I wonder what it means that someone has to say it to me, now."

"It means we're more alike than you knew," Ty said promptly. "Which is good for me and scary for you."

That made Zhane's smile widen, and he shook his head again. "Nope," he disagreed. "Definitely good for me."

She did end up playing, just for a little while. She didn't really understand the game, whatever it was, but Ty told her what to do and where to go and the little characters made her laugh. Zhane also seemed happy to be ordered around the city by Ty and his undercover troops, which made more sense after she realized they were playing against a preset scenario in the game itself instead of against each other.

Finally, though, she told them that she had come down to talk to Dawn and they let her go. The big gold cat was sleepy but content with her company, and she sat on the paw of her zord until DECA told her that TJ had asked where she was. Just now, apparently. Wondering if something was wrong, Ashley said good night to Dawn and headed back toward the stairs.

There was a magical hologram on the door of the newly designed guest room. It was a simple overlapping "V" stamp, with one "V" perched on top of the other two and the numbers 1, 2, and 3 lined up in a row underneath. Ashley smiled as she lifted her hand to knock.

There was a pause, and then she heard Carlos' voice call, "Come in."

The door slid open and she poked her head inside. "Hey guys," she said with a smile. "Just thought I'd check and see how you were doing." It was probably smarter not to mention that DECA was reporting their actions back to the Kerovan team.

"Hi, Ash." TJ shot a sideways look at the computer monitor in their room anyway. "We were just talking about you. Come on in."

TJ was sitting on the edge of the single bed on the far side of the room, while Carlos lounging on the floor, half-propped up against the bottom bunk on the near side. Gabe was nowhere to be seen, though she glanced around again as she stepped inside. "Where's Gabe?" she asked curiously. She would have noticed if he had come down from the catwalk.

"He's outside taking a walk," Carlos offered. "Says it relaxes his inner ninja and makes it easier to sleep."

"Oh." Ashley considered that, and Carlos grinned.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I know. You don't have to say it."

She tried not to smile. "I wasn't going to say anything," she protested, but the knowing look he gave her made it impossible to keep her smile in. "Well, maybe I was thinking that he fits right in with the Power Rangers," she admitted. "His 'inner ninja'?"

"We are not that weird," Carlos said firmly.

"Actually?" TJ put in. "Yeah. I think we are."

"I guess if I asked how he got outside without anyone noticing him," Ashley added, "you'd tell me that his inner ninja guided him?"

"No," Carlos replied. "I'd tell you that he's used to sneaking around in the dark and I'd leave it at that."

"Yeah, and where'd he learn that from?" TJ wondered aloud.

"Hey." Carlos held up his hands in a parody of surrender. "I take no responsibility for what kids are learning on the street these days."

"Which is too bad, since you're teaching them most of it," TJ remarked. "He's started some kind of alien support group on Aquitar," he added, probably for her benefit.

Carlos' loud sigh indicated that this wasn't the first time TJ taken it upon himself to spread the word. "I didn't start anything, and it's not a support group!"

Ashley couldn't help laughing. "Sorry," she told him, when he gave her a mock-glare. "But that didn't sound like the protest of an innocent man."

"Shows how much you know," he informed her. "Some of us get together for coffee. It's no big deal."

"Because it's really easy to get coffee on Aquitar," TJ agreed dryly. "And to find people who drink it."

"Okay, the part of this discussion that's about me is over," Carlos informed them. "What's going on with Zhane? And why didn't you tell us?"

He was looking at her now, she realized abruptly. "What?" Ashley glanced over at TJ for help, but he looked like he was waiting for an answer too. "What are you talking about?"

"Zhane," TJ repeated patiently. "And Andros. What happened there?"

Ashley just stared at him. Instead of wondering what to say, the question of which currently had her mind paralyzed, she found herself wondering what they could have seen. Compared to their usual warm affection, Zhane and Andros had been practically distant with each other the entire evening. She had tried not to notice until now.

Had they kept their distance for her sake, so she wouldn't have to answer awkward questions? It would be just like Zhane to anticipate this confrontation for her. Or had they done it for themselves? The Earth Rangers were their friends too. If Zhane and Andros didn't want them to know, then maybe it wasn't her place to tell them.

Copout, her mind whispered.

Ashley sighed. Yes, she admitted. It was.

She wasn't going to lie to her friends. She didn't know what she was going to say to them, either. So she just took a deep breath and began, "I guess it's not really a new thing."

Oddly, this didn't seem to shock either of them. TJ raised an eyebrow at her, but Carlos' expression didn't change at all, and somehow she had kind of expected him to be the angry one. Instead, he just asked, "And you were going to tell us when?"

"Um..." She made a face, wondering when exactly he thought the appropriate moment would have been. "Well, we've been kind of busy lately," she offered lamely.

Carlos snorted. "Karen told me that relationships around here weren't what she expected, but I figured she just wasn't used to living with you and Andros. Little did I know," he added, rolling his eyes at her.

Ashley smiled tentatively. They weren't taking this as badly as she'd expected, which was sort of weird but mostly just a relief. "So far it's working out," she said carefully. "It wasn't easy for any of us, but I'm actually... starting to get used to it."

"How's Andros taking it?" Carlos wanted to know.

At the same time, TJ asked, "What about the rest of the team?"

She blinked. Maybe she'd been silly to worry about their reaction at all. Obviously they were taking it seriously without blowing everything out of proportion, and she started to relax a little. "The team almost fell apart at first," she admitted. It was strange to be able to say that now and realize how far they'd come. "I thought we'd really screwed up.

"Remember when we disappeared last year?" Ashley added. "After Andros took all the astromorphers and gave them to you?"

"You went on some kind of Power quest right before the dimension switch," TJ said. He exchanged glances with Carlos, who just nodded.

"Yeah," she said ruefully. "Barely. Zhane almost didn't come. He and Andros weren't talking to each other at all for a while there."

"This started last year?" Carlos demanded. "I've seen you a hundred times since then! We e-mail every week!"

She gave him her best embarrassed apology look. "I didn't know how to tell you," she confessed. "I thought you'd be... upset. Jeff was. He pretended not to be, but--"

"Jeff knew?" TJ was giving her the eyebrow again.

"All those times I asked you how it was going with Andros," Carlos complained, ignoring both of them. "How hard was it to say, 'well, Carlos, things are a little different now'?"

"Hard," she said firmly. "I didn't expect any of this, and I couldn't exactly call you up and be like, 'guess what, guys, turns out Andros and Zhane are both gay,' now could I?"

TJ had been giving her an odd look since she'd mentioned them being upset, so she didn't register his expression right away. Carlos, however, had been getting ready for what was probably another complaint about their lack of communication, and the fact that he came to an abrupt halt half a second after he opened his mouth was very obvious. The stare he gave her brought back that nervous feeling full force.

"What?" Carlos said after a too-brief pause. That was all, just "what."

"Um..." She glanced over at TJ. "What do you mean, what?"

"No," Carlos corrected. "The correct question is, what do you mean, gay?"

It was her turn to open her mouth and find herself stuck with nothing to say.

"Maybe you should start with the quest," TJ suggested, folding his arms. "Andros and Zhane weren't speaking to each other. Why not?"

"Because... Zhane was--" She had a really bad feeling about this, but it was too late to stop now. "Zhane was seeing someone new to, well... make Andros jealous. And it worked, so they had this big fight, and Kerone had to--"

She stopped when she saw the looks they were giving each other. "Didn't you know? You're the ones who asked about them," she accused. She couldn't help feeling vaguely betrayed, as if she'd been maneuvered into something she'd meant to avoid.

"No." Carlos was frowning at her. "We asked about your new thing with Zhane. Which now makes even less sense than it did before, so don't stop there. They had a fight, and then what?"

Her new thing with Zhane. Ashley couldn't imagine what they were talking about. Why would they think she had a thing with Zhane? "What thing with Zhane?" she blurted out.

"Ah," Carlos said, lifting a finger in her direction. "No. Andros and Zhane had a fight. Then what?"

"Then we got new morphers and they got back together and that's it," Ashley said with a sigh. They'd definitely taken it too well. Apparently they'd been having a different conversation the whole time.

"That's not it," Carlos began, but TJ cut him off.

"So you're not with Zhane," he said to her, giving Carlos a warning look as he did so.

Ashley frowned. "I'm with Andros," she reminded them. "I've always been with Andros. I don't know where you're getting this Zhane thing."

Carlos snorted. "Yeah, you've always been with Andros like I've always been with Aura."

She caught his eye pointedly. "Yes?"

Carlos opened his mouth, then paused. "Okay," he said after a moment. "Bad example."

Ashley smiled, feeling like she'd actually won one. It didn't keep Carlos quiet for long, though. And the victory had only given TJ more time to think, which he had always done quickly and thoroughly. It was a good quality in a team leader. It was really annoying in a friend who didn't know how to mind his own business.

"You just said that Andros and Zhane 'got back together' after your Power quest," TJ was saying. "Before that you said they were gay. After that you said you and Andros were still together--random Carlos and Aura moments notwithstanding," he added, glancing sideways at Carlos.

"So which is it?" Carlos demanded. Only then did he seem to realize what TJ had just said, and he straightened. "Hey!"

"I didn't say they were gay," Ashley said, trying to stay calm and as un-defensive as possible. "But they were... when they were little, I mean, they kind of--" She stopped. She was at a total loss.

"Don't look at me," Carlos said, folding his arms. "I have no idea where you're going with this."

"Zhane had a crush on Andros when they were younger," she blurted out. "Okay? And now it's--I guess... I don't know how long it's been reciprocal. Except it's not just a crush, I mean... I think they really love each other.

"They do," she repeated, more firmly, because that was a terrible thing to say, that she thought they loved each other. Of course they did. "They love each other, and it's fine. They had some problems there for a while, with the quest and the other dimension and Ty and--well, me--but it's okay now. They're fine now."

"Yeah, don't gloss over the 'well, me' part," Carlos told her. "Totally aside from the fact that I find the idea of Andros and Zhane being in love with each other disturbing, I want to know where you fit in all of this."

"We asked you if Andros was treating you right," TJ said, studying her with an intent expression that was easy to miss next to Carlos' belligerence. "You didn't say anything about breaking up with him then."

"We didn't break up!" Ashley insisted. "He's dating both of us, all right? He's going out with me, and he's going out with Zhane, and it's fine."

"That doesn't qualify as fine," Carlos declared, glaring at her. "When your boyfriend decides to start seeing other people? That qualifies as a big gigantic step backward."

"No it doesn't!" she exclaimed. "You know what would be a step backward, is if Andros didn't tell me about Zhane and just ignored him and Zhane ran off with someone else and spent the rest of his life hating us both! That would be a step backward!"

"So instead you want Andros to dump you and start fooling around with a boyfriend he didn't tell you about because he's having some kind of, what, identity crisis?" Carlos' voice rose incredulously on the last two words. "When he comes crawling back are you going to forgive him for screwing up your life just so he can do it again?"

"He didn't screw up my life!" Ashley snapped. "Andros has never, ever hurt me, and I know you didn't want me to come to KO-35 but it was the right thing for me! For all of us! This is the way it's supposed to be, Carlos!"

"Yeah, this is the way Andros thinks it's supposed to be." Carlos' dark look only made her more angry, because now he wasn't even giving her credit for her own decisions. "I'm sure he likes having a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Ashley cried. "Andros tore himself apart over this! You know what he's like; he doesn't think he even deserves to be happy and Zhane's just as bad! They felt horrible about this!"

"Ash," TJ interrupted. "We want to know how you feel about it. You were our friend first. So maybe Andros and Zhane were unhappy--that's too bad. But what about you? Don't you deserve a guy who isn't thinking about someone else?"

"TJ..." She bit her lip, just as frustrated by his coaxing as she was with Carlos' accusations. She could feel tears stinging her eyes and it wasn't because of them it was because of her, because she couldn't find a way to explain it to them.

"Hey," TJ said quietly. "It's okay, Ash."

"No, it's not okay!" she burst out. "You don't understand, it's--they are thinking about me, they're thinking more about me than they are about each other! And I don't deserve that because they're too good for me!"

She felt a tear spill down her cheek, and as soon as she closed her eyes another one followed. She brushed them away impatiently, opening her eyes when she realized that wasn't helping. "They're too good for me," she insisted, her voice catching as she realized it was true. "They love me just as much as they love each other.

"Both of them," Ashley whispered, swallowing hard. It was a strange thing to say aloud, a realization that she hadn't truly acknowledged in her head yet. "They both care about me. I don't want someone who only thinks about me. Not when I have them."

There was a long moment where no one said anything. Not even Carlos, whom she could tell was bursting with repressed indignation. There had been a time when she admired his chivalry, his ingrained sense of tradition and family and the duty of the strong to look out for the weak. She had let him open doors for her, carry her books, and drive her around Angel Grove.

She had never taken his protectiveness toward her as any reflection on her. He liked her, yes, and he was in the habit of doing things for women. But she had never gotten the feeling that he thought less of her because of it. She could shoot, she could fight, and she could take care of herself.

This was the first time Ashley had seriously wondered whether he really believed that. It was also the first time she'd found his attitude more obnoxious than sweet.

TJ was the one who finally broke the silence. "Did you say Jeff knows about this?"

"Why?" she asked, with more force than she'd really intended. "Would that make it okay with you?"

"Hey," TJ said firmly. "If it's okay with you, that's all we care about. I just want to know what we can and can't mention to your family. That's all."

She swallowed. "Jeff knows," she admitted, not quite willing to look at Carlos yet. "He reacted pretty much like you did, but lately he's gone back to supportive big brother mode. Neither of us have told Mom and Dad."

"Are you going to?" TJ wanted to know.

"Not right now." She hated how insecure that made her sound, but if she couldn't talk to her friends without bursting into tears then she wasn't even going to try with her parents. "No... as far as they know, Andros and I are still planning to get married."

"Oh?" How Carlos could make that one word sound so dangerous, she had no idea. "Was that the plan?"

"Of course it was!" She bit her lip, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium and failing miserably. "Why else did I come here, Carlos? Why am I a Ranger on a planet six galaxies away from home if I didn't come here to be with the love of my life and raise a family someday!"

She didn't know whether to be grateful or dismayed that he didn't answer. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, like she had said something completely unexpected and maybe he had never really known her after all. And she was getting really tired of explaining herself.

"Good night, guys," Ashley said at last. She wasn't going to stand here and try to hide her hurt and disappointment just to make them feel better. "See you in the morning." She turned to the door, but TJ's voice made her pause.

"Hey, Ash." There was an evenness in his tone that might have been pity or forgiveness. She couldn't tell, but she was pretty sure she didn't want either one. "Sleep well."

She didn't smile. "You too," she told the door, and then she went through it and when it closed behind her she was home again. Home, on the catwalk, with zords and holograms and her teammates all around her. Where she was supposed to be.

She couldn't hear any voices from below her, but when she leaned over the railing she could see Zhane and Ty still hunched over their game and for some reason that made her feel better. She thought maybe she would go back down and talk to them again. She wanted some company right now... company that didn't want to interrogate her or feel sorry for her.

As she made her way toward the stairs, though, the picture on Kerone's door caught her eye. The sparkling violet dragon had been on her door since before Karen arrived, but now there was a second dragon beside it. A much smaller dragon. A baby dragon.

The image made Ashley smile, and she lifted her hand to knock, very softly. Who knew if Kae was asleep or not? Kerone had tried to stick to a schedule for him when he first arrived, but the last few days had to have completely disrupted her effort.

There was a long moment before the door slid open. Kerone's curious expression turned into a bright smile when she realized who it was. She held up one finger, glanced over her shoulder once, then slipped out into the hall with Ashley.

"Hi," Kerone whispered. "Have you come to save me from myself?"

The way she said it made Ashley giggle, even if she didn't have the faintest idea what Kerone was talking about. "Only if you need it," she whispered back. "Is Kae sleeping?"

Kerone nodded. "And I'm driving myself crazy with 'what ifs'," she murmured. "I'm so worried. I just want it to be tomorrow, so we can take him to Keyota and get him registered and get it over with already."

"Oh..." Ashley reached out to hug her instinctively. With everything that had happened since they'd been back, she had completely forgotten that there were other things to worry about. And everyone knew that Kerone would be Kae's guardian, but not many of them had really thought about what it meant.

Kerone hugged her back and didn't let go. It was as comforting for her as she'd wanted it to be for Kerone, so she just stood there and held on. Kerone knew everything there was to know about her and she didn't think it was weird or terrible or wrong. She just accepted it and moved on.

To Kae. Kristet had told them to take this chance to tell Kae's story as truthfully as they could. Say he came from the other dimension, she'd urged them. Say you found him on a slave ship that crashed. Say he's attached to Kerone because she's the one who rescued him.

Just don't tell anyone that it didn't happen yesterday.

"It's going to be okay," Ashley whispered, and she felt the arms around her squeeze tighter.

"Yes," Kerone echoed softly. "It is." There was a pause, and then she murmured, "I heard you yelling, a few minutes ago. You and Carlos. Are you okay?"

This time Ashley was the one to hug her harder, but she didn't bother trying to avoid the subject. "He doesn't like the thing with Andros and Zhane," she whispered.

"Tough luck," Kerone whispered back. "It's none of his business."

It made Ashley giggle. "No," she murmured. She felt like she should feel guilty for saying it, but she didn't. "It's not."

"I could turn him into a frog for you," Kerone offered, very quietly. "If that would help."

She laughed outright, leaning into Kerone to rock her back and forth without letting go. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you dearly. I'm so glad you're my friend."

Kerone held onto her, but Ashley heard her murmur, "Will you tell that to the adoption center tomorrow if I need a character witness?"

"I'll tell anyone who asks that you're the most wonderful caring person I've ever met," Ashley promised, squeezing Kerone's shoulders as she finally drew back. "But they're not going to ask. You're a Power Ranger, and that's pretty much the best character reference anyone could want."

Kerone didn't quite meet her eyes. "Just because I can fight," she said softly, "that doesn't mean I can raise a child."

Ashley considered that. "No," she agreed slowly. "But having a morpher means that you know yourself well enough to judge your abilities and limitations. And that applies to everything--not just battle situations."

She thought she could hear the smile in Kerone's voice when she murmured, "Are you telling me that if I think I can do it, then I can?"

She smiled back at Kerone's downcast expression. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Hazel eyes lifted to meet and study her own. "My morpher doesn't work for me," Kerone said matter-of-factly.

"Because of what you are," Ashley reminded her. "Not who."

Kerone didn't look convinced by the distinction.

"You were chosen by the Power," Ashley said softly. "Don't you remember? Just because you can't use it, that doesn't mean anything. What matters is that it was offered to you in the first place."

Kerone finally smiled again, and Ashley returned it. "It'll be all right," she murmured. "There's no one better to take care of Kae than you."

Kerone didn't look embarrassed by that assertion, which didn't surprise Ashley at all. She wouldn't be ready to fight for it if she didn't already believe she was the best guardian for Kae. But still... "Does it surprise you?" she asked abruptly.

Ashley could guess what she meant, but she'd rather be sure. "What?"

"That I'd want to take care of him," Kerone said, keeping her voice very quiet. Maybe too quiet to be heard on the other side of the door, if there happened to be a child leaning up against it. "That I'd want responsibility like that for anyone."

"No," Ashley said, just as softly. "For lots of reasons."

"Tell me?" Kerone made it more a question than a command.

Ashley smiled. "For one thing, you're always taking care of us," she said gently. "You look after everyone on the team, so no, it doesn't seem strange that you'd accept responsibility for another person. And for another, you're always so good with the kids at the Center--they're going to be jealous of Kae when they find out you've adopted him."

Now Kerone did look a little embarrassed, but pleased too. She didn't say anything, though, just waited, like she knew Ashley wasn't done. How she could tell was a mystery... but she was right.

"And also," Ashley said with a little sigh, "I know you've wanted a family for a long time. We're your family now, and we always will be, and I think maybe you want to give that feeling to Kae."

"You're sad," Kerone whispered. She was watching Ashley's expression with that combination of intensity and naivete that had made her look so dangerous, so threatening as Astronema. Now it just made her look curious.

"Why?" Kerone was asking. "Is it because of me?"

"No no," Ashley assured her. "It's just--well... I guess it's just from talking to Carlos tonight, that's all."

Kerone held up her left hand. Catching Ashley's eye, she gave her fingers a deliberate snap and reminded her, "Frog. I could really do it, you know."

Ashley smiled at the reminder. "I always wanted a family, too," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I have one, but..."

"You want children," Kerone said with utter certainty. "I know."

Ashley gave her a surprised look, but her smile didn't fade. "How do you know?"

Now Kerone smiled back. "Well, I could sound very observant and insightful and say that you're my friend so of course I know just by talking to you. But I could also tell you the truth, which is that Zhane and I were talking about it a few days ago. And Zhane always knows."

"Yes," Ashley agreed, knowing that she had started taking that for granted a long time ago. "That's true, isn't it."

"He's funny that way," Kerone murmured. There was nothing mocking in her voice, just affection and honesty. Zhane was funny that way, and Ashley had never really figured out how he did it. It was just who he was.

"Why were you talking about children with Zhane?" Ashley asked softly.

"Because of Kae." Kerone's voice got very quiet again, and Ashley wondered if she thought he might be awake after all. "Zhane said--it's funny," she repeated, the same way she had before. "He said he'd run away with me. But you know... I don't think he would."

"He said that to me, too," Ashley whispered, watching Kerone's expression carefully.

Kerone just nodded. "And he wouldn't with you, either," she said softly. "Do you think?"

Ashley smiled a little, for reassurance more than humor. "No he wouldn't," she murmured. "He wouldn't leave all of us for anyone... not unless we really needed it. Or unless we were Andros," she added as an afterthought.

The brief look of amusement that flashed across Kerone's face was an echo of her own reassurance. "Yes," she agreed. "But..." When the amusement vanished, her face looked even more serious in its wake. "I would. If it was the only way to keep Kae."

Ashley just looked at her for a long moment. "Would you?" she asked at last. They all felt something for Kae, and no, it didn't surprise her that Kerone would want to help him as much as she possibly could. But if there were some reason she shouldn't? If someone had a convincing argument for Kae's being better off in someone else's care?

"Yes," Kerone said simply. "This is important. I understand what he's going through maybe better than anyone on this planet, and I won't take that away from him."

Impulsively, Ashley hugged her again. "No one will ask you to," she whispered. "It's going to work out."

Kerone hugged her back, and just like before, she didn't let go. They just stood there, clinging to each other, comforting. Finally Ashley murmured, "I'm going to go downstairs for a while. Want to come?"

Kerone gave her a final squeeze before releasing her. "I'll stay here," she whispered. "I'm afraid Kae's going to have nightmares again after all the fighting. It's better if he doesn't wake up alone."

"Do you have enough to do?" Ashley asked. "What do you do while you're not sleeping?"

"Oh, I catch up on the news," Kerone said lightly. "Read. Listen to Saryn's incredibly complicated messages about how the League works. Things like that."

"Practice magic?" Ashley suggested, curious.

"Sometimes," Kerone agreed. "I promise, I have plenty of quiet things to do."

"Okay." Ashley smiled at her. "Let me know if you need a night off sometime. I'd be happy to help with Kae-watching."

Kerone smiled back. "Thanks."

"Oh," Ashley added, as she moved toward the stairs and then stopped again. She pointed at the door. "I like the new picture."

Kerone's smile didn't change. She just nodded her head once, eyes catching the violet glow and sparkling briefly. Ashley wondered, just for a moment, if it meant anything that Kerone and Zhane had both chosen mythical creatures to represent themselves.

Although she listened, she didn't hear Kerone's door open and close behind her. When she reached the hangar floor, she glanced back up and saw Kerone leaning idly against the railing, watching her progress. She waved, and Kerone lifted a hand to wave back before turning away.

It occurred to Ashley then that Kerone had never really stopped being the outsider.

She wondered about that, frowning a little as she stared up at the catwalk. She had been the princess of evil when she first came to them on the Megaship. She had been Zhane's friend, Andros' sister, and their only contact inside the monarchy. She had been their sorceress. Their spy. Their secret weapon, often enough--but she hadn't been a Ranger.

Things had changed since then, obviously. She was everyone's friend, part of the family, and most definitely a Ranger. But somehow...

It wasn't so much that she was different, Ashley realized suddenly. They all had that in them. It was just what she had said to Andros when she came back from Elisia: they were all "dangerous" in their own way. But Kerone was the only one who let it keep her apart from the rest of them.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar voice asked.

She didn't jump, but only because Andros' presence no longer set off any alarms in her mind whatsoever. Instead she glanced over her shoulder, smiled at the intent expression he was directing at the catwalk--clearly an imitation of her--and said, "No. Just thinking."

"About?" Andros prompted, turning a gaze so similar to his sister's on her.

"Kerone," she admitted. "She seems... sometimes I feel like she seems... less a part of us, somehow. Less than the rest of us, I mean."

"I feel like that about all of us sometimes," Andros said. But he didn't take his eyes off of her, as though he was waiting for her to explain.

"Yes, but..." She tried, but she couldn't find the words. "I don't know," she said with a sigh.

"She's always stayed a little separate," he offered unexpectedly. "At first because she was afraid we would change our minds, I think. Then because she was afraid she might hurt us. But now, I think... it's just where she's comfortable."

Ashley blinked. "So--you've thought about it too?"

"She's my sister," Andros said simply.

Ashley looked at him, wondering when her mental definition of chivalry had stopped being Carlos and started being Andros. She wondered why she hadn't noticed until now. And mostly she wondered how to tell him without sounding crazy.

"I love you," she said at last.

His eyes lightened even though he didn't smile. "I love you too," he said, slowly and seriously. Not as though he had to think about it. Just... as though he was enjoying it.

*Hey, psst.* Zhane's voice didn't startle her either, and she glanced over at the library. He was still sprawled out on the floor, but he had twisted over on one side so he could see them over his shoulder. *You guys want some hot chocolate?*

Now Andros did smile, and she knew the question hadn't been for her alone. She almost asked if Zhane was planning to make it, then remembered his comment about strengths and weaknesses. Instead, she read Andros' smile and answered for both of them, *We'd love you forever.*

*Like you don't already,* he answered flippantly.

She was surprised to hear Andros suggest, *Longer than forever?*

Zhane just waved at them as he got to his feet, though whether it was a gesture of annoyance or affection was hard to say. They made their way over to the library, where Ty was still peering at the city game, and Andros hesitated almost imperceptibly when Ashley sat down where Zhane had been a moment before. He dropped to the floor across from them, though, and he studied the holographic display for a long moment.

"The government's been bought out by a marshmallow factory," Ty said, from out of the blue. He looked perfectly serious as he studied the game. "The rebels win by default."

"Capitalism conquered the city?" Andros inquired.

"No," Ty said without looking up. "Junk food became the new social currency. It turns out the dogcatchers were misguided change agents masquerading as sometimes-employed city officials."

"What happened to Effigies R Us?" Ashley wanted to know.

Ty lifted his head and caught her eye with a solemn expression. "All of their products are toastable now."

Before she could giggle, he added, "And they're doing a good business in sharp pointy sticks."

"Effigies R Us?" Andros repeated.

"A grey market scheme that went from cottage industry to bakery front in a matter of days," Ty informed him. "Very profitable, even under the new marshmallow regime."

Andros seemed to understand that this was not a thing that needed to be explained. Or maybe he was just more interested in the fact that Zhane was ambling back over, with a careless expression on his face and a spoon that he was tapping against the fingers of his free hand. He looked very tired, to Ashley.

"Anybody want more than just chocolate?" Zhane asked. "Vanilla, mint... marshmallows," he added, giving the game a passing glance.

"Extra chocolate," Ashley supplied hopefully.

"Extra chocolate it is," Zhane agreed, without a moment's pause. "Anyone else?"

Andros shook his head, but Ty asked for mint, and Ashley wanted to follow Zhane back to the kitchen area and ask if there was anything she could do to help. Zhane could boil water without help--a distinct improvement over a year ago--but he still seemed tired. She wondered if she looked just as worn out, and then decided she didn't really care. Not here. Not when she was surrounded by friends.

She got up to follow Zhane and asked if there was anything she could to do help. The question earned her a smile, and the tired look vanished momentarily. He was okay, she thought with some relief. Still Zhane, despite the last few days.

"You can keep me company," he told her. "Things always turn out better in the kitchen with a beautiful woman around."

"Oh, is that what you've been doing wrong all this time?" she said lightly. Then her eyes widened and Ashley clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I didn't mean that."

To her surprise, Zhane's smile was sincere. "I know," he told her. "Before, the thing about weaknesses? I was just being moody."

Relieved, she offered, "Well, no one is ever moody on this team."

He took her more seriously than she'd expected. "We live together, Ash. We see each other at our best and at our worst."

Her smile fading, she studied him for a moment. "I still love you at your worst," she said at last. Quietly.

"Back at you," he said easily. She had no doubt that he was just as serious as she was.

Ashley took his hand and kissed him impulsively, warmed from the inside when he smiled at her. His expression remained bright and happy over the tiredness as he made their hot chocolate, and she was glad to see it. But it wasn't until she was helping him carry the mugs over to the library that she realized what it was that Carlos thought he had seen between her and Zhane.

She stopped, sudden understanding making the mugs in her hands momentarily unimportant. But no one looked at her oddly. Andros and Ty were idly debating the merits of a product front versus a service front for their now less politically-neutral effigy business. Zhane was annoying the game characters by dragging his hand through the holographic display. And Ashley was just standing there watching them, wondering when she had started taking their acceptance for granted.

She hadn't "started," she decided after a moment. She just always had. Ever since the Turbo team, she'd had friends who would support her no matter what. She had not only gotten used to it, but she had broadened that trust to include everyone she had gotten close to since.

She still had friends like that. But as she sat down next to Andros and set his hot chocolate within easy reach, she thought that maybe they weren't the same ones she'd started out with.

15. Family Support

There was a comfort in routine. He sometimes thought that belief made him unusual... a Ranger that liked routine. He didn't miss it when it was gone--mostly because the things that disrupted his routine tended to be all-consuming--but he felt a sense of relaxation, almost relief, when it finally returned.

The exercise mats were forgiving beneath his bare feet as Andros spun and lunged, working his way through a pattern of offensive moves that took all of his attention. The mats were just sticky enough to give him traction without slowing him down. The colors flashed in his peripheral vision, a familiar swirl of red and yellow and violet and silver and black. They were there in the background every time he trained.

Most of the vibration was muffled by the mats, but the rumble of the hangar doors rolling open was as pervasive as ever. It filled the air around him, a sort of wake up call that the entire team was now perfectly capable of sleeping through. Left to their own devices, it seemed, the zords would also follow an unexpectedly regular schedule.

Andros twisted into a final strike, holding it just long enough for the energy to dissipate before he straightened to watch the cats leave. "Leave the doors open!" he called after them, and he saw the crimson zord flick an ear in acknowledgement.

Magic trailed the other cats out into the early sunshine, an inconsistency that he noted before turning back to his exercises. The last one out had usually been the first one in the night before, and Kerone's zord was very rarely the first one in. Especially when they'd had visiting zords... the Elisian zords in particular.

"I'm afraid I've offered one of your Rangers a place on my team," Saryn had told him once. "It was done inadvertently, with no subversive intent."

Andros had taken him seriously, despite the fact that the idea of Saryn turning his considerable political clout on Andros' team was difficult to fathom. It wasn't that he'd never interfered in the running of a Ranger team before. It was more that Cassie would make his life miserable if he did it to her former teammates, and Saryn didn't risk her wrath lightly.

He'd known who it had to be, anyway. And Kerone wanted to be on KO-35 as much as they wanted her here. She'd had plenty of chances to leave, but she took her place on the team--with her family--very seriously.

"I appreciate you looking out for her," Andros had said. "I know your friendship means a lot to her."

He remembered Saryn smiling. "Did she tell you, or did you guess?"

Saryn had accepted that, not even questioning his generalization--they hadn't always been close--before he'd added, "I would have you know that I made no attempt to convince her. I simply told her she was always welcome on Elisia. She immediately assured me that her home was here."

As Ashley's was, now. Even Ty called Keyota home. It didn't dissolve the old ties... it just added new ones.

Andros leapt out of the way of an entirely imaginary opponent, rolling with more control and a resulting precision that was all but impossible in a real fight. There were a lot of things that he liked about sparring. One of them was its perfect ability to be right or wrong. Form, power, sequence. They mattered in a fight only when they kept him alive. But here on the mats, they were everything.

He heard footsteps on the catwalk and dismissed them. Anyone could be up now, doing anything, and if they wanted his attention they knew how to get it. He was in the middle of a pattern that had too much vertical variation to let him easily pause and refocus his gaze.

Somehow, though, when he came to the end of the sequence he wasn't surprised to find one of the Earth Rangers standing at the edge of the mats. Having been on the receiving end of Carlos' protective threats about Ashley before, he had expected a confrontation. Everyone had been careful to sleep in their own rooms last night... a precaution that had paid off when Kae's nightmares drew the Earth Rangers out onto the catwalk in the early morning hours.

Andros released his last position and stood, breathing hard and glad of the breeze that was wafting through the open hangar doors. He gave Carlos a curt nod, studying the other Ranger's ominous expression, and he got a tilt of the head in return. With his hair cut short and a black shirt that glowed subtly red when it caught the light, this man bore little resemblance to the long-haired teen in torn green and blue that Andros had first met on the Megaship.

"Can we talk?" Carlos demanded. The lack of pleasantries almost made Andros smile, because in this, at least, the man and the teen were exactly the same.

With a small wave of his hand, Andros indicated that the other Ranger was free to join him on the exercise mats.

The first hint of amusement touched Carlos' expression. "No thanks," he said dryly. "You'll kick my butt."

Now Andros did smile, shrugging a little as he walked off of the mats and reached for his towel. "It was worth a try," he remarked. "Especially after what you said to Ashley last night."

Carlos' face darkened. "She told you about that."

Andros just looked at him. He couldn't have really expected anything else, could he? Zhane had wanted to go bang on their door the moment she mentioned it, either to shut them up or throw them out, and only the fact that Ashley told him that she'd already turned down Kerone's offer to turn Carlos into a frog had appeased him.

"Look, Andros." Carlos didn't seem to have any idea how close he'd come to being an amphibian. "We've known Ashley longer than you have, and we look out for our own. That's all we were doing last night."

"If looking out for your own didn't involve making my girlfriend cry," Andros told him, "then we wouldn't have a problem." He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and slung the towel over his shoulders while Carlos scoffed.

"Your girlfriend?" he repeated. "I don't know what definition you're using, but just buying her jewelry and taking her out to dinner doesn't make her your girlfriend. Especially not if you're fooling around with someone else on the side."

He wasn't unprepared for the accusation, not after the conversation with Ashley last night. "And I don't know what definition you're using," Andros said evenly, "but hers is the one that matters to me. If she says she's my girlfriend, then I say she's my girlfriend."

"Our definitions are the same," Carlos informed him. "Ashley and I come from the same place, and people who are committed to each other don't date other people!"

"I wouldn't speak for her, if I were you," Andros warned. "I've heard a lot from her and Zhane lately about letting them make their own decisions."

"Well, now you get to hear from me about making your decision," Carlos snapped. He was fast, Andros noted. Carlos' verbal sparring ability was significantly better than he remembered. "One or the other, Andros. You're going to have to choose eventually."

He wondered what Carlos would say if he knew how many agonizing hours had gone into exactly that decision. "I did choose," he said at last. "I chose both of them."

"That isn't an option," Carlos exclaimed, oddly exasperated. As though he had set the parameters of the decision himself and Andros was the one who didn't understand.

"Look, Carlos." Andros straightened, pulling the towel off of his shoulders and holding his hands out to his sides. "This really isn't any of your business. I know you're worried about Ashley. But this is our relationship--"

"That's not a relationship!" Carlos interrupted. "That's playing the field!"

"It's whatever we say it is!" Andros retorted. "You don't get to decide that for us!"

"And you don't get to decide for her! She's from a different culture, and there's a difference between choosing something for yourself and just going along with it!"

This habit of twisting his own words into something else was new and annoying, Andros thought. What were the Aquitian Rangers teaching him, anyway? English wasn't even their second language; for most of them, it was probably their third or fourth. Yet he didn't know where else Carlos could be getting his debate skills.

An incoherent shriek from the catwalk announced Kae's noisy presence in the hangar, and it was followed immediately by Kerone's indulgent laugh. She made no effort to shush him, despite the presence of visitors and teammates who might or might not be sleeping. Andros knew why.

Kae's only excursions outside of the hangar so far had consisted of visits with the zords, carefully supervised playtime outdoors, or trips to the Megaship. Today he would be traveling into Keyota with both Kerone and Ashley, and no one was sure how he would react. He didn't like unenclosed spaces or strangers, two things the city had in abundance. He might as well enjoy himself now.

"I'm ready! Really, I'm--" Ashley's breathless call echoed off of the interior of the hangar as her door slid shut behind her and her footsteps joined Kerone and Kae on the stairs. "Not at all," she finished. "I'm the only one who's hungry, aren't I."

"Ashley!" Kerone's voice chided her. "We're not going to be late just so you can have breakfast!"

"Oh, like I'm such a gourmet breakfaster!" Ashley returned. "It'll take me two seconds to grab a muffin on our way out!"

"Order on your way down," Andros called up to them, "pick up at the bottom of the stairs."

Ashley didn't have to have it spelled out for her. "Apple nut!" she called over the railing. "I love you!"

Andros tossed his towel on one of the stools in front of the counter and grabbed a napkin and a muffin from the kitchen. He was well aware of Carlos watching him as he wrapped the muffin and collected two juice bottles. Both of them Kae's, specially formulated by DECA to get him the vitamins and minerals he was missing in as palatable a form as possible. The Rangers weren't above swiping them when they were in a hurry.

"Oh, hi Carlos." Ashley had made it as far as the kitchen while Kerone shepherded Kae toward the open doors. He was protesting, muttering something Andros couldn't hear--he probably wasn't thrilled about going out through the big doors instead of the smaller, non-zord door on the other side of the hangar.

"Muffin for you," Andros announced, ignoring Carlos as he presented Ashley with her speedy breakfast. "And a juice for you and one for Kae. Good luck this morning. Call us if you need backup."

She was hesitating, flashing a preoccupied smile at him in the middle of her uneasy attitude toward Carlos. "Thanks... we will. Um--"

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Carlos wanted to know.

At the same time, Andros said quickly, "We're fine."

"Okay." She smiled at him again, collected her food, and leaned in to kiss him. "Tell Carlos what's going on, all right?" Then with a cooler smile for her former teammate, she added, "It was great to see you. I hope we'll be back before you leave, but if not, we'll catch up."

She whirled away and was running for the doors before he could answer.

"What--" Carlos sounded bewildered and a little insulted at the same time, neither of which really bothered Andros. Watching Ashley run, even from behind, was one of life's little pleasures, and he enjoyed it until she was out of sight.

"What are they doing?" Carlos wanted to know. "Where did the kid come from, again? And why doesn't he eat?"

"He eats," Andros corrected, leaning back against the counter. He didn't mind having Carlos be the confused one for a while. "He's just not used to it. His stomach can't handle a lot of food at once, so DECA made that juice for him to make sure he gets the right nutrients."

"Where did he come from?" Carlos repeated. "And where are they going?"

"He came from JT's dimension, and they're going to register him with Keyota family support. He'll need an ID and a medical file before Kerone can adopt him."

"Wait, what?" Carlos demanded. "You're adopting him?"

Andros didn't know whether to be amused that he and Kerone were suddenly synonymous, or baffled by the fact that Carlos seemed surprised. "Ashley and Zhane said they told you all of this yesterday. I remember talking about it at dinner."

"Yeah, that an Astronema from another dimension dropped an orphaned slave kid in your laps right before the ID portal started making your lives hell; I got that," Carlos said impatiently. "Not that he was about to become part of the Ranger family."

Andros studied him for a moment, then finally pushed away from the counter. "I can't figure out what you're upset about from one minute to the next," he admitted. "I'm going to change. Help yourself to something to eat if you're hungry."

"Andros--" Carlos sounded annoyed, and maybe that was fair, he didn't know. But he was tired of being interrogated.

"Carlos." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, pivoting to face the other Ranger as he put one foot on the step behind him. "Mind your own business."

He finished his turn and continued up the stairs without another word.

Family support, as it turned out, was not a service that took itself or anything else lightly. That was probably a good thing, and in retrospect, they really should have expected it. Kristet had been through the system, and she had warned them: treat them like they're god, and you'll all get along much better.

As it was, only their Ranger credentials and Kerone's unshakable ability to sound right no matter what she said kept them from looking like total idiots. They'd had only the vaguest idea of how much documentation they would need, and they certainly hadn't anticipated the number of varied specialists who would have to confirm everything they said. It was a process that could have taken weeks if she and Kerone had been anyone else.

Fortunately, the two Kerovan Rangers weren't anyone else, and it wasn't just their morphers that worked in their favor. Completely unsuspecting, Ashley had mentioned early on that Andros hadn't warned them how complex the process was. Suddenly the "complexity" of the meeting they were in at the time turned into a checklist of what they would need, three appointments that were made for them, and a public file opened for Kae on the spot.

Within minutes, Kerone and Kae had vanished for the first of the appointments, and Ashley was being asked--very politely--about her plans for Kae's future. Since she had no idea what those plans might be, if they existed at all, she replied, "Tell me what he needs," and they went from there.

She learned to use Andros' name sparingly. When she accidentally mentioned him twice to the same person, the counselor she was talking to actually stopped asking her questions and starting answering them for her. Out loud.

"Will you provide peer as well as family support for the child in question, of course you will," the woman murmured, entering something into her electronic file. "Will you allow periodic adjustment assessments, certainly; will you enroll him in school as soon as he's..." She mumbled something that ended with "yes" and Ashley shifted awkwardly. She wondered if she would get a copy of all of these questions she was supposedly agreeing to.

She ended up on a tour of the building, which she thought might be overdoing it until she realized that she was being shown through each of the rooms that Kerone and Kae had already visited. She was picking up their paperwork. Well, that was efficient, she decided. These people obviously knew what they were doing when it came to children. No waiting.

It did make her a little bit nervous that somewhere along the line she had been listed as Kae's second guardian, and her name showed up on every bit of documentation from there on. She got the feeling, though, that protesting was not the way to make them look like competent parents. So she kept her mouth shut, smiling whenever someone spoke to her and agreeing whenever they asked her a question. It got her through the morning.

Kerone wasn't so lucky. They were all invited to the children's commissary for lunch, but it was clear that Kae wasn't going to make it to the commissary, let alone through a meal inside it. Kerone told her later that everyone had been very understanding when he threw his third temper-tantrum of the morning in their first appointment, but her nerves had been shot after one.

So they thanked everyone they could find and hustled him out to the hover, which was easier than it could have been only because Kae was crying in Kerone's arms. Not three or four years old after all, according to the doctor, but a severely undernourished five. Still, he was small enough to be carried over a distance, and right now that mattered.

"Back home?" Ashley asked, when they made it to the hover.

"Yes," Kerone said fervently. "Thank you."

She reached out to toss the documentation crystal into the dashboard compartment as she got in, and Kae, who was in Kerone's lap and clinging fiercely enough that she couldn't fasten her safety harness, shivered violently. Without a word, Ashley passed the crystal to Kerone instead and let her put it away. She overrode the harness lockout that kept her from starting the hover so that Kae could ride on Kerone's lap if he wanted to, and they lifted slowly out of the parking grid.

"It's going to be okay," she heard Kerone murmur. "No one's going to hurt you here... they all just want to make sure you're safe. If you want to stay with us, we have to let other people look at you to make sure you're okay."

Kae whimpered, but if he said anything then Ashley couldn't make out what it was. She had only recently begun to grasp that he understood most of what they said, and could repeat it back to them if he wanted to. Most of the time he didn't... and this, it seemed, was most of the time.

The hover rails had a hold on their vehicle, so she glanced over at the two of them periodically as they were shuttled out of town. Kerone caught her eye several times, but they didn't talk. Right now, the important thing seemed to be to regroup first and deal later. It was a strategy that Ashley had learned to appreciate since becoming a Ranger.

She took over the navigation again as they left the city and headed for the hills. Kae quieted as they drove, eventually seeming to fall into an uneasy sleep, and she heard Kerone sigh once. She thought back over her own series of meetings and interviews and testimonials and wondered how it could only be early afternoon.

"I'm going to call DECA," she said as they approached the hangar. She was careful to keep her voice low. She had only said it to warn Kerone, in case Kae started awake at the sound of the comm.

Kerone nodded, and she triggered the comm unit. "DECA," she said quietly. She waited a fraction of a second for the unit to recognize her request and make the connection. "Kerone and I are on our way back with Kae," she said. "It's been a hard morning. Can you tell me who's in the hangar?"

"Certainly, Ashley." DECA's voice was pitched to match her own, and she was glad of the AI's discretion. Kae didn't so much as stir at the sound of their voices. "The only person in the hangar now is Zhane. I believe he is anticipating your arrival."

She exchanged grateful glances with Kerone. He was the best of the boys with Kae, and he would know what to do about everything they'd had dumped on them this morning. He hadn't had as much experience with the system as Kristet and Andros, but he knew what people meant when they said things and he would be able to pull out what they had to do and figure out how to tell Andros.

Ashley thanked DECA just as they were coming to a halt outside of the hangar. She parked closer to the door than usual, giving them less ground to cover with a potentially hysterical child. Kae didn't wake up until Kerone shifted him to open her door, and after his initial jolt of alarm he seemed to understand where they were and what it meant. He slid reluctantly out of Kerone's lap, holding her hand tightly and following her across the unenclosed space without complaint.

Zhane didn't meet them at the door. DECA must have told him they were coming, though, because he was in the kitchen cutting up fruit on a child-size plate and there was an open bottle of juice on the counter next to him. "Hey there," he said, lifting his head momentarily to smile.

"Ow," he added, so calmly that it seemed incongruous. A sympathetic wince chased the smile from his face, and he repeated, "Ow, man, you guys... You're like the sledgehammer of solemnity. It couldn't have been that bad."

It was the type of protest that normally would have been delivered with theatric drama, but it somehow conveyed a greater dismay when presented in his normal tone of voice. "Want something to eat?" Zhane offered, handing Kae an already cut piece of fruit. "Bet they didn't feed you there. You drink your juice on the way over?"

Kae didn't answer and Zhane didn't seem to expect him to. He did take the fruit, though, letting go of Kerone's hand for the first time as he crouched down on the floor behind the counter and crammed it into his mouth. He hadn't tried to hide while he was eating for days, Ashley thought worriedly. She caught Kerone's eye and knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Yup, that's what I thought," Zhane said casually. "Here, help yourself." He set the plate with as much fruit as he'd already cut on the floor beside Kae. "More juice?" He held the bottle over Kae's head, but the boy ignored it.

"Okay," Zhane said. "Ash, would you grab a cup for him? There's lunch for you in stasis, while you're at it," he added. "Sandwiches and more fruit if you want it. I wasn't sure when you'd get back."

He was cutting up the rest of the fruit on the counter surface. Ashley brought a cup over and poured the juice into it, fastening the detachable lid before she handed it back to him. Kae was huddled near Zhane's legs, still stuffing fruit into his mouth, and Zhane took the cup and put it on the floor near his plate without a word.

"Did you eat?" Kerone was asking as she pulled the sandwiches out of stasis. "Do you want anything now?"

"Already ate," Zhane answered. "Can't make a sandwich for someone else without making one for myself, so hey, I've had two." His voice was still even and casual, and she realized suddenly that he was trying to avoid spooking Kae, but he winked at them as he said it.

"Thank you," Ashley said with utter relief, accepting a full plate from her friend and tempted to kiss Zhane right then. "Zhane, you're my favorite person ever. I'm starving."

"Kae too," Kerone added, sitting down beside her. "Obviously. They offered us something to eat there, but none of us wanted to stay any longer than we had to."

"Hard day, huh." Zhane didn't even bother to make it a question. He scooped most of the rest of the fruit off the counter and deposited it on the plate beside Kae. The remaining pieces were apparently for him, since he leaned on the counter and started munching while they devoured their sandwiches.

Both of them, Ashley noticed. Kerone was paying more attention to her food than usual. Of course, after seeing her throw her magic in every direction on the Dark Fortress for several days at a stretch, maybe that wasn't so surprising. And there certainly hadn't been a lot to eat while they were there.

"For everyone," Kerone was saying with a sigh. "What's going on here?"

"Mmm--" Zhane gestured with a piece of fruit before swallowing quickly. "Andros is finishing his flyby, and Ty's out talking to the PD. Took my place," he added, at her curious look. "I'm supposed to be entertaining the Earth Rangers."

Ashley considered that. "I'm entertained," she said, a moment later. "I guess that counts." Sliding off of her stool, she added, "Anyone want something to drink?"

"Water, please," Kerone called after her.

"The same," Zhane added. "Thanks, Ash."

Ashley waved a dismissal at them, and she heard Kerone ask, "Should I wonder where the Earth Rangers are, then?"

"Oh, did I imply that I had done something terrible to them?" Zhane didn't sound chagrinned. "My mistake. Tessa and TJ left early, something about missing work; I didn't catch all of it. Karen's out with Carlos and Gabe, showing them some tourist-y thing that's probably all they'll remember of KO-35 for years."

"Maybe not all," Ashley said over her shoulder. "Carlos won't forget last night's culture shock so quickly."

"It's not culture shock," Zhane said crossly. "If he can make it on Aquitar--they don't even kiss there! It's unbelievable! Then he comes here and he's shocked because, what, Andros occasionally manages to smile at more than one person a day?"

"It still surprises me," Kerone put in, and Ashley turned around in time to see them smirk at each other.

She shook her head as she crossed the kitchen space, sliding her triangle of three glasses on to the counter beside Zhane before pushing them in the appropriate directions. "Whatever it is," she declared, "I'm glad you're here, Zhane. Family support is way more complicated than we thought, and we're going to have to have some kind of team meeting."

"So I'm the team now?" Zhane suggested, lifting his glass to her in appreciation. "I'm not against that."

Ashley rolled her eyes at Kerone, who actually giggled. She must be relaxing, finally, after hours on end of listening to Kae scream. Ashley was feeling a little better too, now that she noticed it. She attributed it to the quiet familiarity of the hangar. And the food. The food had definitely helped.

"You're the team," Kerone agreed, smiling as she peered over the counter to check on Kae. "We wanted to talk to you first anyway. Andros isn't going to be happy, and I have no idea what Ty will say."

Zhane didn't look surprised. "Better hurry," he suggested. "Andros is on his way back. Half the planet's under quarantine, and he doesn't have Kristet to keep him busy."

Their public relations agent was taking some well-deserved time off after the ID portal disaster. Ashley already missed her. She could have been a big help right now, deciphering what family support actually needed from them and what they just wanted, but that wasn't technically her job. They would muddle through on their own somehow.

"I have to move," Kerone told Zhane.

"We have to move," Ashley put in firmly. "You're not going anywhere alone."

Zhane looked from one of them to the other. "We have to move?" he repeated, unfazed. "Or they have to think we moved?"

"There's someone coming to assess Kae's 'home environment'--" She made little finger quotes around the words. "In three days. Assuming they have enough vaccinated counselors to spare for house rounds by then."

"Ah." Zhane finished off the apple slice he'd been holding with a flourish. "So they just have to think we moved. That's easy enough, right?

"Come on," he added, when Ashley just stared at him. "We all knew we needed a vacation home. How 'bout a cottage somewhere? On the beach? Near a good school?" he suggested with an ingenuous smile.

At a total loss, she glanced over at Kerone when she felt her friend lean in to whisper in her ear. "Are you disturbed by the way his mind works?" Kerone murmured, easily loud enough for Zhane to hear. "Because I don't know if I should feel guilty for wanting to laugh or not."

He knew he was in trouble the moment he walked through the door. Kerone and Ashley were back, so that was good. Zhane was with them and Carlos was nowhere in sight, and that was also good. What was bad was the way the girls were looking over their shoulders at him, and Zhane was just following their gazes with an amused expression. None of them so much as waved, let alone called hello.

*I should just turn around right now, shouldn't I,* he thought at all of them. There was a moment during which all three of them exchanged glances, and he was sure the answer was going to be yes.

Then Ashley called, "Was that to all of us?"

He shrugged, wondering whether he should worry more that she thought that was significant or that she hadn't answered the question. "I guess that depends on whether you all heard me or not," he remarked, striding into the kitchen and belatedly catching sight of Kae.

"Hi Kae," he said, figuring it was better not to ask. All of Kae's dishes were on the floor, and he was tracing a sticky design on his plate in fruit juice. He also wasn't crying, screaming, or hitting anyone, and that won over all other concerns.

"You know," Zhane offered, an odd note in his voice. "Ty mentioned something you said at that party in Quon a little while ago."

Andros paused, his back to them. Then he shrugged, reaching for last night's leftovers and pouring himself a glass of water to go with them. "Did he also mention that if he told anyone I promised to deny it?"

There was the sound of a glass being set down with an emphatic thump. "Now that," Zhane declared, "right there. That is a sign that we're in a different dimension. Andros and Ty keeping secrets, with each other, from the rest of us."

Andros grimaced at him over his shoulder, and he caught Zhane's smug smile in return. "I'll call Justin," the Silver Ranger warned. "Or JT, or Jay, or whatever he calls himself here... I'll call him, and you know what I'll say?"

"You'll say, my name is Zhane and I'm mentally unbalanced," Andros grumbled, digging around until he found utensils. "He asked a question, and I answered it. That's all."

"What question?" Ashley wanted to know.

"Are you a telepath," Kerone said quietly.

Andros turned around, surprised by her tone. Ashley, too, was looking from one of them to the other with a slightly hurt expression on her face. "Am I the only one who didn't know about this?"

Kerone managed a smile at that, but she didn't look up. "I just guessed."

"No," Andros said. His voice was louder than he'd meant it to be. "No," he repeated awkwardly, when they all looked at him. "He asked if it was genetic. Telepathy, is it genetic. That's what he asked."

"Yes." Kerone lifted her head then, and she stared at him from her place on the other side of the counter. She straightened without seeming to notice. "It is, isn't it."

He nodded slowly.

She took a deep breath, then smiled at all of them as she let it out. "Well, that destroys a long held belief about my childhood, but I think I'll be all right. What about you?" She was looking at him again.

Her acceptance made him smile. "I'll get over it," he promised, picking up his improvised lunch and heading over to join them. "So what were you all looking so guilty about when I came in?"

It wasn't a subtle change of subject, but it was an effective one. Even a little too effective, if that was possible. Because anything that could get their attention that quickly had to be big and Ashley hadn't, after all, answered the question. Maybe he would have been better off to turn around at the door.

"Well," Zhane said at last, "since we're talking about childhood beliefs... would you have wanted to grow up in a zord bay?"

Andros raised his eyebrows, considering the implications of that as he took a seat on the other side of the counter.

"Okay," Zhane said quickly. "Bad question. Do you think anyone else would have wanted to grow up in a zord bay?"

His lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes in an effort not to smile. "I wasn't always a Ranger, you know."

The effort failed completely when Zhane remarked, "You were to me." The words were serious and sincere and just the slightest bit awkward in the face of the girls' interest.

"You can stop softening me up any time now," Andros told him. His smile turned rueful at Zhane's wounded expression, but he didn't take it back. "What's going on? Is this about the meeting with family support?"

"They want to see where Kae lives." Ashley jumped in, but he didn't miss the grateful look she shot Zhane. "On a regular schedule, starting three days from now; they want to send someone to check on him and see how he's doing."

"And he'll have to be enrolled in school," Kerone added. "If he needs extra help or tutoring, or counseling, they'll have to come to his home too."

"Don't forget friends," Zhane said, sounding almost cheerful. "Friends' parents, friends' siblings... we're talking serious unauthorized traffic. And pets. What about pets? The cats won't like pets."

Kerone gave Zhane an exasperated look. "He doesn't need a pet."

"Says you," he countered.

Mouth full, Andros tapped the counter to get their attention. He waved at them, not about to watch Zhane and Kerone get into a ridiculous argument over child-rearing when they were discussing something that sounded serious. "I assume," he said, when he could talk again, "that you have some ideas about this?"

He pointed at Zhane before the Silver Ranger could reply. "Not the pet," he said, forestalling the most obvious answer. "You know what I mean."

Zhane pretended the thought hadn't even occurred to him. "Here's what happened," he said, glancing at the girls. "Ash signed all the forms as Kae's second guardian. So basically, either the two of them move out with Kae and we stay here, or the two of them move out with Kae and we go with them."

"Wait--" Andros frowned, trying to catch up in five seconds or less. "We're sure that moving is necessary?"

"Did you hear us listing all the people who might need to access to Kae at home?" Zhane countered. He wasn't kidding anymore.

"It's a security issue," Kerone agreed. "Completely aside from what Kae might need or want."

"Which is just as important," Ashley said firmly. "The hangar's a fun place to hide, but it's not such a great place to grow up."

Andros tapped the end of his fork against the counter, thinking. The hangar had been their refuge when the hostels' lack of privacy had driven them out. It had seemed welcoming and permanent and very much their own compared to the temporary housing they had gotten used to. Like the Megaship, though, the hangar was a place of war in a world of peace.

"We'll need to talk to Ty," he said at last.

He saw Ashley and Kerone exchanging glances out of the corner of his eye, but Zhane was watching him carefully. "You're okay with this."

Andros wasn't even remotely sure what "this" was. "No one on this team is going to be ready to move in three days," he said, reaching for his glass.

"Um--" Ashley seemed suddenly uncertain. "Zhane suggested calling it a vacation home." She sounded like she thought cheerfulness might cover up her doubt. "So that we could sort of... I don't know. Maybe move a little at a time? So it wouldn't be so abrupt?"

"Are you all coming?" Kerone interrupted. "When you say 'we,' who do you mean?"

Andros raised his eyebrows at her. "Are some of us not welcome?"

She sighed, as though he was being deliberately obtuse. "I'm not excluding anyone. I just want to know whether we're all talking about the same thing. Is this going to be a house for Kae to grow up in, or is it just a new base of Ranger operations?"

Andros glanced around. His sister wasn't the only one looking at him expectantly. Ashley wore a disturbingly serious expression, as though his answer determined her future, and Zhane looked like he already knew what Andros would say. The Silver Ranger looked mildly impatient, actually, and Andros raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" Zhane wanted to know. "It's a fair question. The kid needs a home, not just a room in the back of our command center."

"Is there a difference," Ashley said slowly, "between all of us living together here, at the hangar--the way we did on the Megaship--and all of us... living together, in a house somewhere?"

Zhane's impatience turned on her, but now it was tempered with amusement. "Of course there is. That's the whole question, isn't it? Are we just a team, or can we be a family?"

In the moment of quiet that followed, the movement by the end of the counter was unmistakable. Andros looked over to see Kae hovering beside Kerone's stool. "Kerone," the boy said, very softly.

"Yes?" she replied, as though he asked for her attention everyday.

He was staring up at her, blue eyes wide and worried. "Can Ship come?"

He knew what they were talking about. Andros shook his head at himself, wondering what could possibly have made him forget that Kae was a person too. Not just a silent shadow, not just a broken slave, but a child who knew perfectly well what was going on around him and wanted to be involved.

"DECA?" Kerone was saying. She lifted her head to look around, a habit they had all gotten into since DECA started projecting a hologram to go with her voice again. "We have a question for you."

The hologram in question walked out of the library to join them. It was an odd sort of illusion, that perhaps she had just been over there until they called, instead of not really being anywhere until she chose to be for some reason. "What question is that?" the AI asked, doing a convincing impression of curiosity for someone who had sensors everywhere.

"Come with us," Kae said, more forcefully than usual. He looked abashed when DECA's hologram looked down at him and he lowered his head, but he didn't back up.

"That is not a question," DECA remarked. Her tone was gentle, though, and Kae looked up again.

"Will you?" he pleaded.

"Certainly." DECA's hologram smiled at him. "Where the Rangers are, I am. I will always go with you."

Andros set his fork down when he realized he hadn't eaten a thing since Kerone asked what they were doing. "We won't always be Rangers," he said aloud.

They were all looking at him again. He didn't know what else to say.

It was Ashley who came to his rescue. "We can always be a family," she said quietly.

He found himself nodding, and he didn't plan to say it and he didn't really know what it meant but he said it anyway. "Yeah," he agreed, and he saw Zhane grin out of the corner of his eye. "We can."

Never one to ignore the hard questions, Kerone asked, "What about Ty?"

She was looking at Zhane, and on some level that annoyed Andros.

Zhane's grin had vanished, but his expression hadn't closed down entirely. "Ty's a part of this until he says he isn't," he declared. "Just like the rest of us."

"A vacation home, huh?" Gabe looked incredulous and amused at the same time, like he thought they might be kidding with him and the punch line was coming any minute. "I hope you're not going to try to top this place for square footage."

"I hope we're not going to have this many stairs," Ashley put in. She hated to admit that there were times when she missed the Megaship's lift system. Even the hostel hadn't had as many stairs at the hangar. "Is there any way we can find a place that's all on the same level?"

Zhane gave her a curious look. "You love heights. I thought the catwalk was one of your favorite things about this place."

"I love being on the catwalk," she told him. "I don't love getting to it."

"I'd look for more windows," Karen offered. "Not that it's going to be my house or anything, but it's seriously gloomy in here sometimes. Especially in the morning, before anyone's turned the lights on, and the rooms upstairs are all sunny but as soon as you step out here, bang. Total darkness."

"Wait," Ty interrupted. "You want a house for six people to be all on one level?"

Ashley looked up, and of course he was looking at her. "What?" she protested, trying not to smile. "My parents have a one-story house, and we fit five people in it."

"You fit a lot more than that over the holidays," Andros remarked. He was sitting on the near side of the library, close enough to listen in but too far away to really be part of the group. Kerone and Kae were building something on the other side. "I'm not sure the six of us are that close yet."

Ashley had to laugh. "My family's not that close either," she admitted. "Cassie didn't move in until after Jeff moved out, and believe me, no one wants to live the way we do during the holidays all year long."

"Our house has two floors, counting the basement," Gabe commented. "Of course, Carlos doesn't even live on Earth anymore, so he doesn't take up much space."

Andros wasn't the only one who had pulled away from the group. Carlos was on the opposite side of the living area, leaning up against the end of the kitchen counter as he watched their discussion. He hadn't added much to the conversation, but he didn't ignore his brother's jibe. "Hey, it's summer vacation on another planet," he said with a shrug. "All the cool kids are doing it."

"That's right!" Karen declared, raising her right fist in a "power" gesture. "Broaden your horizons! Or find new ones."

"Speaking of horizons," Ty put in, "please tell me that moving to the city isn't an option."

Ashley glanced at Zhane, but Andros spoke before either of them could. "Absolutely not," he said, without looking up from his reader. "I'm happy with anything you choose, as long as it's not in the city."

"Define city," Zhane argued. "Can we have neighbors? Traffic? Streets? Anything is 'the city' compared to here."

"Yeah, you guys live in the sticks," Karen agreed.

"The sticks?" Ty repeated.

Karen paused. "I have no idea where that expression comes from," she said after a moment. "But it basically means you're the only thing here. Hicksville, the backwoods, out past Robinhood's barn. That kind of thing."

"Okay," Zhane informed her, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Define city," he said again, looking at Ty this time. "Streets? Buildings? When we look out the window, what do you not want to see?"

"I don't have a problem with streets," Ty declared. "Or neighbors. As long as they're... well, when I look out the window, I don't want to see them looking in. That's all."

"I want to be able to stand outside and look around without them looking back," Andros said firmly. "I want to be able to walk out the door and not see anyone."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Zhane asked rhetorically.

"What about trees?" Ashley wanted to know. "I mean, what if there are trees or something blocking the view? Is it physical distance that matters, or are they far enough away if you can't see them?"

"I don't want to see them," Andros repeated. "They can be up the road or around the corner, but I don't want to see them unless I go looking for them."

"Okay, so privacy." Zhane was back in the game. "The city is bad, and privacy is important. Which probably rules out the beach, too," he added, "but that's okay because I'm not sure Kae could survive within sight of massive amounts of water."

"And no stairs," Ty put in.

"No," Ashley said with a laugh. "Stairs are fine. Just, please, fewer stairs than here. That's all I ask."

"Stairs okay." Zhane pretended to check something else off. "Windows? Did we vote on windows?"

"Windows are good," Ashley agreed.

"Very good," Ty seconded.

"And Ty needs a greenhouse," Ashley added, grinning.

"Privacy, windows, greenhouse," Zhane echoed. "Any other essential points we should consider?"

"Yeah." Carlos' voice cut through his humor. "How many bedrooms?"

There was a quiet moment, and Ashley found herself trying to come up with a realistic answer to that question. She hated the awkwardness that settled over their fun, and she wished, not for the first time, that Carlos and Gabe had already left. She felt guilty for not wanting them around, but at the same time--

"Well, let's see," Zhane said abruptly. "That should be easy enough." He straightened up, craning his neck as he looked around. He pointed at each of them in turn as he counted off, "One, two, three, four, five, six. There are six of us, right? So, six rooms."

"Yeah," Ty put in. "That's not going to work on one level."

"I said there could be stairs," Ashley said quickly. "Didn't I? I remember allowing stairs."

"A more important question," Karen said with a grin, "is how many bathrooms? Don't get me wrong, I love the setup you guys have here... but you're not going to find that in a traditional house."

In that moment, Ashley realized that Karen knew exactly what was going on and didn't mind at all. Maybe she should have known that before--and maybe she had. Maybe they all had, and that was why Karen was still staying with them while her teammates were being wished back home. But she had never fully appreciated it until right now.

"At least half of us need to be able to shower at once," Zhane was saying. "So at least three bathrooms. Everyone can share with one other person, right?"

"Plus a guest bathroom," Ashley reminded him.

Zhane pointed at her. "Good. That's true. Four bathrooms.

"I'm going to start a list," he added, looking around. "Anybody have a geographic preference? Does it matter whether we stay near Keyota or not? The zords are here."

"I like Keyota," Ashley offered.

Ty shrugged. "I'm open."

"Me too," Zhane agreed. "Sibling set?"

"And by that I assume you mean us?" Andros asked. He sounded amused, but it hadn't taken him any time to figure it out. "Keyota is home." There was a pause, and then he remarked, "Kerone is nodding."

Ashley glanced over toward the library just as Kerone looked up, put a finger to her lips, and pointed at the structure Kae was constructing. *He says noise will make it fall down,* she explained silently. *But I like Keyota too.*

"Okay," Zhane announced, proving that he had heard her too. "Somewhere in the vicinity of Keyota we will find a private house with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a lot of windows."

"I have to ask this," Gabe interjected. "And I feel kind of ridiculous doing it, but... Are you guys kidding?"

"Nope," Zhane said cheerfully. "Oh, and a greenhouse. Forgot that."

"You're kidding," Gabe said, with more confidence. "You must be, because that's the craziest thing I've ever heard. You're just going to go find a mansion and move in? Just like that?"

"It's not really a mansion..." Ashley trailed off uncertainly. "Is it?"

Ty was there to back her up. "More of a vacation home," he said, with a straight face.

"A cottage," Zhane agreed. "Just think of it as a little mountain hideaway."

"This is your idea of a mountain hideaway," Gabe pointed out. "This, right here. This place would be right at home in the Angel Grove warehouse district."

"And that," Zhane said, pointing at him this time, "is exactly our point. We're looking for something a little more home-like."

"I've heard Rangers don't pay for things on other planets," Gabe said, shaking his head. "But this is crazy."

"Who says we don't pay for it?" Zhane wanted to know. There was an edge in his voice that hadn't been there before, and he was giving Gabe an irritated look. "Do you remember where you were yesterday? Do you know where I was? What I was doing? Most of my team and all of yours were in a slave dimension, and I was trying to keep this entire planet from being invaded, destroyed, and infected by a deadly plague.

"Not always in that order," he added as an aside. "Still, it was work. And maybe this is just me, but I remember it being fairly stressful, moderately skilled work, which also carried with it the very real possibility of failure and death. Also not necessarily in that order.

"So," Zhane concluded, now addressing a more somber audience. "Let's just say that if I was employed by the Planetary Defense, my hazard pay alone would cover this little house we're looking for. Okay?"

In the silence that followed, a sound from the kitchen drew their attention. Carlos had shifted, unfolding his arms as he left his place by the counter to join them. "I guess," he said quietly, "sometimes we get so used to the way things are that we forget what's important."

Ashley looked up to smile at him, and he put a hand on the back of her chair. "If you want a second opinion on any of these houses," he told her, "we don't have to get back right away."

"Really?" She heard the offer for what he meant it to be: a peace offering in the midst of uncertainty. His, and if she admitted it to herself, maybe some of her own, too. Her entire future had changed since just this morning, and Carlos' tacit acceptance would mean a lot to her. She glanced over at Gabe questioningly.

"Are you kidding?" He was grinning. "I work at a Ranger-run dojo. One of the only places in the world where the 'kidnapped by aliens' excuse actually works."

She looked back at Carlos, and he just shrugged. "Hey, who hasn't wanted to go house-hunting for a mansion?"

16. House Hunters

It turned out that the house-hunting didn't happen in quite the way she expected it to. The next day was ridiculously busy, and Ashley ended up spending most of it with Andros and the KPD. Most of the rest of the planet was either under quarantine or busy trying to enforce it, so she didn't question what would have normally been Zhane's job.

She didn't see Kerone and Kae until dinnertime. Ty was holed up in his room, and the Earth Rangers were out doing who knew what under Karen's questionable guidance. So it was just the four of them, and that was when Zhane's absence began to seem more curious.

"Secret mission," Andros told her when she asked.

"No, really," he added, when she gave him a look. "I'm not supposed to tell you. He says he has a surprise for you. He'll be back later."

*Zhane,* she thought immediately. When in doubt, go straight to the source. *What's this about a surprise?*

He didn't answer, though, and Ashley made a face. She and Zhane couldn't always hear each other, although she'd thought their communication was becoming more reliable. The problem was that she couldn't tell the difference between him really not hearing her and him just pretending not to hear her. This time could be either one.

The Earth Rangers showed up just as they were finishing dinner, and Ashley forgot about the "secret mission" for a little while. She should have suspected something when Andros complained about something he'd left out in the hover, since he typically did first and complained later, but he seemed particularly relaxed tonight so she offered to go get it without a second thought. It was only when she stepped outside that she remembered.

Zhane's hover was parked right in front of the door, and he was sitting in the open passenger compartment with a smile and a flashlight. "Hi," he said, jumping out of the hover. "Ready for your surprise?"

Ashley looked over her shoulder automatically, glaring at the now closed hangar door. "Andros is a very..."

"Careful," Zhane said with a grin. "This wasn't his idea."

"Devious person," she finished, turning her glare on him. "Just like you."

"And you wouldn't have us any other way," he finished cheerfully.

Which was true, she admitted to herself. He saw the thought on her face, as he always did, and he winked at her as he handed her the flashlight he held. "Here," he said, "you'll need this."

With a sigh that was just for show, she accepted the flashlight. "At least let me get my uniform jacket," she said. "In case it cools off."

"I've got a sweatshirt in the back," he countered. "Andros was trying to get you out of there without the Earth Rangers asking any questions. Kind of defeats the purpose if you go back inside now."

"Really?" She couldn't help being intrigued. Maybe she was a little more sensitive to the boys keeping secrets from her than she had been once. It was reassuring to be reminded that any secrets they kept were still within the team, and she would know them before anyone else. "What's he going to tell them when I don't come back in a few minutes?"

"That you're on a secret mission." Zhane gave her an amused look, like he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Just like me."

"Well, if I get to go on a mission," she teased. "That doesn't happen enough!"

He grinned, stepping out of the way as he gestured to the hover. "It's a non-Ranger mission," he promised. "You'll like it."

So Ashley climbed into the passenger seat, and Zhane closed her door for her. He swung into the hover on the other side, starting it up and pushing it into a gentle glide over the hills. Their lights lit up the shadowy dusk that was settling over everything in sight, but the glowing disc of RS-42 in the sky meant that false moonlight would replace daylight as soon as the sun was completely gone.

It was a nice night for a drive. She gazed out at their surroundings as they flashed past, prompting Zhane with a question every now and then, but he didn't give her any clues about their destination. And when they turned into the long, gated driveway of a completely dark building, coming to a stop beside a small fountain, she wasn't any closer to knowing than she had been before.

"Where are we?" she asked, as Zhane killed their running lights and let the hover power down. "Is this part of the surprise?"

"You could say that," he said with a smirk. "Bring your flashlight."

"What--" But Zhane was already out, and she had to scramble to catch up as he strode across the shadowy walk toward a set of circular steps. "Zhane, what's going on?"

"You're never happy until you have all the answers," he chided fondly. "Just relax. There's no one inside waiting to jump out at you. It's not a surprise party, just a surprise.

"Oh, and also?" He turned at the top of the steps, holding up a hand to caution her. "This one isn't my favorite."

She stood at the bottom of the steps, staring up at him, because somehow those words made the moment crystalize in her mind. "Zhane, have you been looking at houses all day?"

He smiled, and she could hear it in his voice when he stopped pretending to think about his answer. "Well, no. I spent part of the day convincing people to let me into houses, and part of the day bribing people to say I hadn't been anywhere near them. But the part that was left over? Yeah, that part I spent looking at houses."

There was nothing to do but laugh. "This is your secret mission?" she demanded, coming up the stairs to join him. "Why? Why you? Why not all of us? Why didn't you tell me?"

He held up his fingers to count off her answers. "One, because we need a house. Me, because can you really imagine any of the others picking one out for us? Just think about that for a moment."

Zhane gave her an expectant look, and she tried to suppress a smile.

"Exactly," he said, clearly satisfied. "Three, as you probably noticed, most of you were busy today, and also, see number two. Finally, I did tell you, I just waited until now to do it. Now that I've narrowed it down to the more realistic options.

"So what do you say?" Zhane beamed at her. "Want to help me pick out a house?"

Ashley didn't even know where to start. "At night?" she said at last. "By flashlight?"

"Hey, we're going to have to live in it at night too," he told her. "And no, there's power inside. The flashlight's just for out here, so we don't have to turn on the outside lights. I'm trying not to totally advertise the fact that we're here."

"By breaking in with flashlights?" she repeated, torn between amusement and disbelief. "You know that Kristet's going to kill us, right?"

"Are you kidding?" he countered, a smirk on his face. "This was her idea."

At her incredulous look, Zhane relented a little. "People don't want to know that the Rangers are shopping for real estate while the planet is under quarantine, she said. And Andros agreed with her."

He shrugged, like he would have issued a press release if it had been up to him. "She told me to be discreet. I'm being discreet."

She giggled at his deliberate insouciance. "Okay," she agreed, flicking her flashlight on and shining it up at her face while she wrinkled her nose at him. "Discreetly picking out a house. I'm on board with the plan."

"Great!" He looked positively elated, which Ashley thought must be hard after a whole day of doing this. "Ready to see house number one?"

"Wait--" She lowered her flashlight, not that she really needed it yet. She wondered how many houses there were. "Why do you want me to help? If Andros gave you this 'secret mission'..."

Zhane went from delighted to thoughtful in a matter of seconds. "Because you want to," he said simply. "The others don't, not really. It's not fun to them. Not like it is for us."

She considered that for a moment. It was true that Andros would regard house-hunting as more of a chore than anything, and it was also true that Kerone probably didn't care one way or the other. If she could create that guest room that she'd made the other day, she'd be able to make their house look like anything she wanted no matter what they picked.

And Ty... she didn't really know what Ty liked, but he wasn't big on shopping for things in general. He tended to assume that anything he didn't already have was something he could do without, which wasn't the most practical approach when trying to accommodate a team as diverse as theirs.

"I guess that's true," she admitted after a moment.

"So?" Zhane prompted, managing to not sound at all impatient.

She smiled. "So show me these realistic houses. How many of them are there?"

"This is the first of three winners," Zhane said, sliding his ID at the door. "But there's more choices if you don't like any of them, so have no fear."

"It's programmed for your ID?" Ashley asked. She'd given up on disbelief and decided to just go with amused. Only Zhane.

"Remember how I told you about the part where I was convincing people to let me in?" he said, holding the door for her. "I was very good at it."

"I guess so," Ashley murmured. She flicked her flashlight across the entryway, a doorway to her left and one to her right, with stairs in front of her and darkness underneath them.

"Foyer lights," Zhane announced, stepping in behind her. The entry lit up, spilling light into the empty room to her left and the dining room on her right. The stairs curved, she realized as she followed them with her eyes, up to a balcony on the second floor--and past the stairs, underneath the balcony was a room that the light didn't reach all the way across.

"Now, before you say anything," Zhane was saying, "there are only two floors. So the stairs, although they make a first impression, are not in any way a big deal."

She tried to smile, but she was distracted by the immense ceilings that the lights illuminated. The light actually came from the second floor, but the front hall and apparently the space on the other side of the balcony were open to the floor above, giving the place a kind of creepy echoing feeling. "It's like a castle or something," she murmured.

"First floor lights," Zhane said, more quietly. The rooms around them lit up too, and the effect was dramatic. "Come on," he added, touching her shoulder. "No inspecting. Just walk through, first impressions first."

She reached for him, her fingers fumbling along his arm until he caught her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back, managing a real smile for him this time. "This is creepy," Ashley said frankly. "Really creepy."

He smiled. "The house, or the process?"

She tilted her head. "The house," she admitted. "The process is still kind of... overwhelming. I mean, come on, we're looking for a house. To live in. It's just--so strange."

"Stranger than living on a spaceship?" Zhane asked mildly. He tugged on her hand gently, leading her under the balcony into living room area with a fireplace. An actual fireplace. "Stranger than living in a hangar with five giant mechanical cats?"

Ashley laughed, though whether at him or at the fireplace, she didn't know. "You do have a way of putting things in perspective," she declared. "What's outside?"

He followed her gaze to the left. "There's a covered porch and some terraces out there. That's the master bedroom on the other side of the porch. There are doors in and out from the porch, or there's a hallway back the way we came."

"The master bedroom," she repeated, staring out the living room doors.

"Yeah, and if you look that way--" He turned her around gently, so she was facing in the opposite direction. "On the other side of the kitchen, there's another bedroom and porch and laundry area. There's two or three more bedrooms upstairs, depending on how you count it."

She crossed the room, drawn by the warmer light from the kitchen, but she didn't let go of his hand. "That's only five rooms," she remarked, trying to sound neutral. Because what did it really matter? He had only said six to get Carlos off their backs.

"There's a couple of places that could be turned into bedrooms if we needed them," Zhane said, pulling her past the counter island in the kitchen and walking her in a circle around the room. "But seriously, Ash... we're not going to use six bedrooms."

"No," she said quietly. "I guess not."

"Hey." Zhane turned to her, giving her a serious look that totally belied his next words. "Astrea doesn't even sleep. You think she wants a bedroom? 'Course not. We're down to five already."

She couldn't help giggling. "You're terrible," she accused. "I'm telling Kerone that you took away her room."

"And I'm telling Andros that you want me and him and you to sleep in separate rooms," Zhane replied, his innocent smile once again at odds with his words.

She swallowed hard, her own smile fading. "Zhane..."

He didn't answer, just looked at her, waiting. Her hand clenched in his and then she let go, about to turn away. But she couldn't, could she--because turning away would be giving up, and they'd agreed not to do that.

"What do you want us to do?" Ashley asked softly. Zhane had to know. He always knew. "He can't sleep with both of us."

"Not in the beds we have now," Zhane agreed, just as quietly. "No."

She lifted her startled gaze to his--and found him still, just watching. "What?"

"I like--having sex, with him," Zhane muttered. He was obviously uncomfortable, but he didn't turn away either. "Sleeping with him is more important, though. Maybe it is for you too."

He paused, but she didn't know how to answer.

"So I was thinking," Zhane continued at last. "Maybe we should try it sometime. All of us--not sex," he added hastily. "Just, sleeping together. I think..." He shrugged awkwardly. "I think it might be nice."

Would it be any different from falling asleep with them in the observatory, she wondered? Or on the couch in the hangar? "I don't know," she said aloud, but still quiet, still thoughtful. "Maybe."

Zhane just nodded. "Want to see it now?" he asked. "Or the upstairs first?"

"Is that the other bedroom?" she asked instead, nodding toward the door on the other side of the kitchen.

"Laundry, actually." Zhane didn't take her hand again as he led the way through the last door. "There's the bedroom, and the porch is off this way. Skyport out there, and a workbay kind of area on the other side of it."

She nodded absently, following where he pointed, without thinking too much about it. It wasn't that she was against sleeping with... well, either of them, really. Even both of them. Maybe. But--

Very honest, very Zhane, and just as true for her as it was for him. And she wasn't going to do anything with Andros in front of Zhane. That probably went both ways too, although they were boys, so who knew. She was pretty sure she wouldn't want them to do anything in front of her, so it didn't really matter.

Even if they could sleep together, and they all liked it and were comfortable with it and... well, had enough room... how would they ever have sex if they didn't have privacy?

"Ash?" Zhane touched her arm gently. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said quickly, smiling at him as she shook off her thoughts. "Let's see the upstairs."

He took her at her word, but he smiled back when she reached for his hand again. "You make a good tour guide," she offered, and he squeezed her hand.

"I have many amazing talents," he responded in kind.

So he showed her around the second floor, which had a disturbing amount of space but a good number of windows. Zhane laughed when she pointed that out, and he laughed again when she remarked that she liked the balcony better when she was standing on it than she had when she was looking at it. "You would," he declared.

She was a little surprised to find one windowless room, which Zhane informed her was the theater. She rolled her eyes, embarrassed to be in any house that had its own theater, until he showed her the miniature planetarium over the workshop. Then she protested. "We don't need to be our own tourist attraction!"

"Like the Megaship?" he suggested. "Or the hangar?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were trying to get away from that!"

"Those are places to work," he said firmly. "We just happened to live in them. This is a place to live, but we'll have to work here too. There are things we have to be able to do, and this..."

Zhane gestured vaguely around the dome. "This is a tool, not a luxury. There's no point in having a house if we're just going to have to live on the Megaship anyway in order to get any work done."

That made her bite her lip, because even with the facilities they had at the hangar they still spent a tremendous amount of time at other, better facilities. On the Megaship, at PD bases, in the Keyota library. They couldn't duplicate those places anywhere else, obviously, but maybe they could at least keep themselves from having to sleep there when there was a crisis.

So she let Zhane continue his tour. They even turned off the upstairs lights so they could look out the windows and see the view by moonlight. "This is really pretty," Ashley whispered, as they stared out one of the back bedroom windows at the terraces behind the building. She wished she could see it in daylight.

She also wished the house wasn't so maze-like. It spread out in several directions, and even if she stood in the exact center and yelled, she didn't think anyone in the far rooms would hear her. For a house with such high ceilings and a second floor that was open to the one below in several places, it felt remarkably unconnected.

Zhane just nodded as she listed the things she didn't like about it. "Sure you're not creeped out just because it's a mansion?" he asked, when she was finished.

"No," she admitted, after a brief hesitation. It was entirely possible that that explained all of her problems with the house. "I'm not sure."

"Okay," he said with a careless shrug. "Time to compare, then." He didn't ask again if she wanted to see the master bedroom, and they paused only to turn out all the lights before they made their way back to the hover.

By now it was dark enough that she was glad to have a flashlight to help her find her way in the shadow of the house, but the moonlight was strong enough to be visible down the driveway even after their running lights came on. They passed the occasional home on their way out, most of them similarly lit but few of them within easy sight of each other. She smiled to herself, because only Zhane could keep so many unrelated criteria in his head at one time and still have time to think about where everyone would be sleeping.

The next house had a shorter driveway and no gate, which made her like it better before they even went inside. Zhane made the hover crawl around to the right side of the house to point out the garage--the skyport, she reminded herself, remembering the first time Andros had corrected her--before spinning around to pull up to the front door. No fountain, but there was a cute little bridge that made a ramp up to the front porch from both directions and big double doors that opened for Zhane's ID.

"I like the front," Ashley murmured, sliding her arm through his as they went inside. She guessed the outside wasn't the most important part, but it did make a nice impression. So did Zhane, who again turned on only the foyer lights when they first walked in.

Her eyes widened as the lights came up, and she put her free hand over her mouth. This house had a balcony too... but this one had two sets of curving stairs, one on each side of the foyer, and though the scale was much smaller it still looked warmly familiar. "Just like the hangar," she whispered.

"Fewer zords," Zhane said, but she could tell he was pleased. "Want to try the upstairs first this time?"

She lowered her hand, smiling, and she pressed up against his side in an imitation hug. "That sounds fun. Won't that ruin your 'first impressions' test, though?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully, pulling her toward the stairs on the left. "Interior lights," he called, then he added, "The upstairs is pretty boring. You'll have plenty of awe left over for the other floors."

"Floors?" she repeated. She let their linked elbows pull apart until they were only holding hands as she followed him up the stairs. "How many floors are we talking about?"

"Just two," Zhane assured her. "Plus the basement. Or the ground floor, whatever you want to call it... it's the basement in the front and the first floor out back. You'll see. As long as you don't fall asleep on the boring second floor."

"No," she protested with a laugh, looking back down at the foyer before turning to look over the other side of the balcony. The "interior lights" command had turned on every light in the house, as far as she could tell, and she had an amazing view of a gathering area with windows lining the far wall. And was that a fireplace? Again? She had never lived in a house with a fireplace.

"No," she repeated, shaking her head in amazement. "There's nothing boring about this, Zhane. It really is like the hangar, even, only better because we can actually see the places where people would be when we look down."

"Yeah, great," Zhane said dryly. "So any privacy we have because of where the catwalk is in the hangar, we totally lose here."

"Spoilsport," she teased, turning to look around again. "Where's the home theater?"

"This house actually does one better," Zhane admitted. "They have a holo-surround communication station in the basement. Better projection quality, and you can import and export things directly instead of having to go through the home network.

"Up here it's just bedrooms," he continued, pushing away from the balcony railing. "Very normal looking, convenient... the two in the back have cool windowseats that Astrea would love, and three of them have their own bathrooms. The fourth one has a guest bathroom just down the hall."

He showed her all of them, and they turned out the lights in the back rooms so they could see what the outside looked like in moonlight. Her mouth fell open as she stared out at the patio, three stories below from up here, and the shadows cast by the encroaching trees and vegetation. The back obviously hadn't been cleared in a long time, but even so, traces of garden space were still visible and the view was mysterious and inviting.

"You like it," Zhane observed, and she turned to see his white-blonde hair glowing in the moonlight as he studied her face. "Darn."

"You saved your favorite one for last," she guessed.

"They're all my favorites," he assured her. "That's why I wanted you to see them."

"Why didn't you just show me the one you like best first?" she asked curiously.

"Partly because it helps to get acclimated," he said with a shrug. "This house doesn't seem so big after seeing the last one, right?"

She had to smile. "I think this one is bigger, Zhane."

"Yeah, it is," he admitted, pretending shame. "But it doesn't seem so big. Not as overwhelming once you get used to it, right?"

"I guess that's true," she agreed at last.

"And partly because you're not Andros," he continued without the slightest sign of apology. "He'd like whatever I showed him just because I picked it. You want to compare, to see for yourself. You want to make sure I picked the right one."

She opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say to that. "What?" she managed after a moment. "Is that--"

Zhane waited.

"Are you saying I don't trust you?" she blurted out.

To her relief, a smile spread across his face. "I'm saying you're a girl," he teased, poking her in the shoulder and then wrapping her up in a hug when she protested. "It's a good thing."

"Well, good," she told his shoulder, hugging him back before he let go. When he stepped back, she wrinkled her nose at him. "I do like to see for myself. But just because I want to doesn't mean I have to. I already know the one you like is the best one."

He grinned at her. "You're going to find out," he promised. "Ready to see the rest of this one?"

They left the lights off, and he just pointed out the storage space above the skyport before they went downstairs. She didn't ask which of the bedrooms had been the "master" bedroom, and he didn't volunteer. Downstairs, she fell in love with the house all over again, because the gathering area she had seen from above was open to the foyer, the kitchen, and a family area for eating meals.

The dining hall was just off of the foyer, and she clapped delighted when Zhane told her to walk through the pantry from the kitchen and she found herself on the other side of the dining room. The pantry also opened into... a bigger pantry, and when she tried the door on the far wall she realized she was looking out into the skyport. "Convenient for unloading groceries," she remarked.

She couldn't help being amused by a "pantry" that was almost as big as the kitchen they had in the hangar, though. And the whole house was like that. The kitchen looked out over the patio out back, with a large porch that had steps leading down to the patio on other side--another sort of horseshoe design, and she really did like the way that reminded her of the hangar. Her biggest disappointment was that there was no place on the first floor for a library.

She'd never expected to become so attached to the hangar, she thought with a sigh.

"Okay, last stop before we check out the ground floor," Zhane announced, taking her back past the balcony to a more conventional set of stairs. The staircases in the foyer were all show and didn't go down to the basement. "We don't have to stay long, but I just wanted to point out one thing."

He pushed open a door and waved for her to follow. The room was a mirror to the kitchen on the other side of the gathering area, and she smiled when she saw a second fireplace in here. Not luxuries, indeed. She wanted to see Zhane make an argument for fireplaces being "tools."

"The master bedroom only has one bathroom," Zhane was saying. "And yeah, there are two sinks, but still. I see problems with that. Okay? That's all I wanted to say."

She blinked, looking around more carefully. She had vaguely registered "bedroom" when she came in, but it was only a little bigger than the back bedrooms upstairs, with the same sort of extended windowseat design. And yes, Zhane was right: one bathroom, like the rooms upstairs, even if it was considerably bigger.

"It's bigger," she said aloud, suddenly struck by the idea of actually sharing a room like this with two other people. The concept was one thing, but the practical implications of it were something else.

Zhane was right, she thought slowly, peering around him into the bathroom. It was huge for one person. It was big enough for two people. It was fine for three people as long as they didn't all use it at the same time. Especially when they were tired, and cranky, and likely to get in each other's way.

"Bigger," she heard Zhane mutter. "Not big enough. You share a bathroom with Astrea; you have no idea how annoying Andros is in the morning."

To her own surprise, she found that the comment amused her. "I'm not too worried," she realized. "I get up earlier than either of you. I'll probably have it all to myself."

That made Zhane laugh, and they continued their tour without awkwardness. The ground floor didn't appeal to her quite as much as the rest of the house, although it was nice enough. The comm station was the high point, and it was out of the way enough that they could use the main room as an exercise arena if they wanted to. There was a lot of storage, which she supposed would be good if any of them actually owned anything, but...

"Why are there are two kitchens down here?" she asked Zhane.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You're getting kind of picky for someone who thought a mansion was overdoing it," he teased.

"This is part of the overdoing it," Ashley insisted, trying not to smile and mostly failing. "Come on! Two kitchens? Why do you need one kitchen in the basement?"

"Because you're Ty?" Zhane suggested.

"Fine," she said, giving in to the smile. "He can have a kitchen in the basement. But why are there two? That's what I want to know."

"You know what I want to know?" Zhane inquired.

"Always," she responded, waiting for him to come back with a joke.

He surprised her by asking mildly, "Why aren't there any showers in the basement? If we're going to spar down here--and you know this is the only place in the house we can do it--then the nearest showers are in our bedrooms. Okay, but kind of inconvenient if we have guests."

"We need guest showers now?" Ashley considered this.

"No, I mean, inconvenient that we might have to walk past guests to get to the shower," Zhane corrected. "Not people coming over for dinner guests. I'm thinking the sleepover kind of guests, like the Earth Rangers, or, I don't know, someone's family or something."

Having just talked to her parents that afternoon, it was suddenly easy to picture the problem. "I guess that's just what it's like to have houseguests," she said at last. "In a house, instead of on the Megaship where everything's sort of... compartmentalized." The hostel had been the same way, and if the hangar was less like that then it was still big enough that they could avoid getting in each other's way.

"Think so?" Zhane didn't sound convinced. "So we can't just have our guests stay in one house while we stay in another one?"

She laughed aloud. "I'm surprised to hear you say that!" she teased. "Isn't that more Andros' privacy issue?"

Zhane smiled, but he was serious when he pointed out, "That's why I'm thinking about it. If we have to pick a house for them, we have to be able to look at it the way they will."

Ashley stared at him in surprise as understanding dawned. "You're not just asking my opinion," she blurted out. "You're letting me help."

He gave her a curious look, but his smile didn't fade. "What do you mean?"

"These houses..." As quickly as her certainty had come, it left again, and she folded her arms uncomfortably. "Are you asking what I think about them, or are you asking what I think the others will think about them?"

Zhane only pondered that for a moment. "You make it sound like I have an ulterior motive," he remarked, his tone amused. "I just thought it'd be fun."

She relaxed, shaking her head. "You always pretend you don't think about things," she murmured, not accusing, just fond. She could see through him, and she just wanted him to know... not change.

"So I don't have to explain," Zhane said, just as quietly.

When she looked at him, he gave her a small smile. "That's why I pretend I don't think about things, sometimes. Because I don't always feel like explaining. Or because I can't."

She smiled back, reaching out to link their arms so she could lean against his shoulder. She wasn't at all surprised when she heard him say softly, "I do want you to help. If you want to."

"Well," she said, lifting her head, "if helping is telling you that everything you've said makes sense, then I'm here to help."

He chuckled. "You're the best help I've ever had," he declared, light and teasing again and she let him be, because that was who he was sometimes. "What do you want to see next?"

"How about house number three?" she suggested, sliding her fingers down his arm to clasp his hand. "I like this one better than the last one, so I'm ready to be completely impressed by the next one."

Zhane held out his free hand so she could see his watch. "How much sleep do you want to get tonight?"

"None," she declared. Then she reconsidered. "Actually, a lot, but I'm willing to put it off. I'm hoping for a morning off tomorrow."

"Lock your door," Zhane advised, and she giggled.

It wasn't until they were stepping out through the front doors again that it occurred to her, "Hey, that won't work if we all sleep in the same room. Locking the door, I mean."

"It's okay," he promised, sliding his ID to lock the house again. "He also responds to threats."

She smiled as they made their way down the little ramp to the driveway. Glancing back at the now-dark house, lit only by the reflected glow from RS-42, she commented, "I really like this house."

Zhane didn't answer, but he was smiling when she looked over at him in the hover.

The last house was closer than the middle one had been. She wasn't exactly sure where they were anymore, either in relation to central Keyota or to the hangar. Zhane tried to reference familiar landmarks when she asked, but she knew she wouldn't be able to find it again on her own.

At least, not right away. She'd probably get used to it pretty quickly if they actually moved in to one of these houses. She did ask about distance to the Center, since she didn't have any excuse to get DECA to teleport her there, and school for Kae and food for everyone. Zhane laughed at her barrage of questions, pointing out that she hadn't asked about any of the other houses.

She informed him that before she got totally lost, she'd been able to guess how far they were from things. She didn't mention that she was taking this more seriously the longer they looked, but Zhane had probably figured that part out anyway. He probably also knew that she wanted to like this house the best, just because he did, so she was more curious about it.

It wasn't as pretty as the one before it. At least not from the outside, at night, in the shadows cast by moonlight, and she reminded herself not to judge something she could barely see. It was also too close to the road.

"Yeah, I know," Zhane said, as though she had spoken aloud. "There's nothing to block the view from the road. Check this out, though."

The driveway split as it approached the house, so that one part of it led up to a small skyport and the other part continued on across the front of the building toward what must be the front door. As the hover pulled up to the skyport, though, the door slid open for them and Ashley blinked as she realized another door was opening at the back. The hover glided straight through into a paved courtyard on the other side.

"Skyport," Zhane said, pointing at the series of little hangars across from them. "Skyport annex," he added, hooking his arm around her and pointing back the way they'd come. "Ty can have that one for his bike."

He spun the hover ninety degrees so they were facing the house proper, and Ashley had to smile at the overgrown garden area surrounding sliding glass doors. "Total privacy," Zhane declared, with some satisfaction. "You could walk around out here naked and no one would know."

Ashley had to giggle. "Are any of us likely to do that?" she teased.

"Hey," Zhane told her, "seize your opportunities."

He was turning the hover around, probably intending to take her up to the front door, when she asked, "Can we go in here?"

The hover stalled as he considered that. "Sure," he said after a moment. "Why not?"

His card worked on the glass doors too, which didn't even surprise her anymore, and when they entered they walked into the middle of the kitchen. Ashley blinked. "Okay," she said, amused even before the lights came on. "That's different."

"It's not the front door," Zhane reminded her. "So, kitchen, that's the back of the fireplace in the living room that you're looking at there--" He pointed straight across the counter and sink islands in the kitchen toward the standalone "wall" on the other side, then circled around to the right. "Counters, place to eat, there's a deck out through that door, and a comm station in the corner.

"The dining room's out front," he continued, swinging left. "It's mostly open to the foyer, like the living room, and there's a pantry and a set of stairs right over here."

She went right instead, peering through the door next to the comm station, and found a little hallway and niche space with a door at the other end. "This goes out to the skyport?" she guessed.

"Yup." Zhane was right behind her, but he didn't crowd her as she wandered around the outside of the kitchen area. Windows all along the back wall, with a windowseat that looked out onto the deck, and when she cupped her hands up against the darkened window she could see steps leading down to the ground from the back of the deck.

The living room looked out on the deck too. She didn't even realize she was in it until she turned around and saw the fireplace. She blinked, crossing the space to look around the other side, and sure enough, she could see right into the kitchen. It was very... open.

"Main comm station," Zhane remarked, pointing back toward the front of the house. "Foyer and dining room on your left. The dining room and the library on the other side of the foyer, by the way, are the only rooms on this floor where you actually have a view of the road."

Ashley smiled, walking out into the middle of the foyer to look up. No high ceilings here, and no balcony either, but there was a single set of curving stairs that led up to the second floor. "What's upstairs?"

"Just bedrooms," Zhane told her. "Or, you know, whatever you want to put in them, but one of them has a private bathroom and two of them share a bathroom. The other one is across from the guest bathroom, like in the last house."

Four bedrooms. She must be starting to get a feel for this mansion thing, because when she guessed, "No master bedroom up there?" Zhane pointed over her shoulder. She shook her head, smiling, and pushed through the doors behind the stairs.

The double doors let into a little front room, which made her laugh when she realized what she was looking at. The bedroom itself was through a door to her right, while the bathroom was on the left. At least, she assumed it was the bathroom--she didn't see a toilet, but there were sinks and tile and that was not a jacuzzi... was it?

"Andros' second house," she murmured, amused and incredulous and now convinced that Zhane could pick out a house for her any time. Zhane could pick out anything for her, ever, because as realistic as he might be about some things, he was obviously beyond capable of going all out.

"I guess it is," Zhane agreed with a chuckle. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah, you're right. And hey, check this out." He waved her through the bathroom, which had a sliding partition at the back that opened into a little space with a tiny spiral staircase and an open door.

"Don't go down it," he told her. "Just see it and remember. Through here..." He led her through the doorway, pointing toward the windows of what had to be the library as he went. "Those look out on the road, but some curtains would fix that, and here we are back in the foyer."

Ashley blinked, trying to get her head around the house's layout. Zhane was already crossing the foyer, cutting off one corner of the dining room as he headed... well, generally back the way they'd come in, except he went the other way around the comm station. She followed more slowly, trying to picture people in the dining room, or someone she knew actually calling her on the elaborate comm setup--

"Guest bathroom," Zhane called, throwing his hand to the right even as he went left, and she smiled to herself as she tried to catch up. He was unstoppable.

"Aforementioned pantry," he was saying, when she met him next to stairs that went both up and down. She turned to look where he was pointing, saw a pantry that was much smaller than the last one, and a door that she assumed led to a closet. "Stairs."

She completed her turn in time to find him already bounding downstairs, and she laughed at him as she started to follow. "I think you owe me coffee," she called after him. "It's the only way I'll keep up!" He was actually moving faster as they went, and she didn't know how he did it.

"No coffee," he said, waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. "But I'll get you some hot chocolate later, if you want it."

"I'm just kidding," she promised, reaching for his arm. "Impress me with the ground floor. Or basement. Or whatever"

"It's the ground floor out back," he told her. "Like the last house, only there's no door out to the space under the porch. Bet Astrea could make us one if we wanted it, though."

Ashley considered the large gathering area that the stairs let into, half listening, half trying to decide if all their sparring equipment would fit down here without someone tripping over it every five minutes. There had to be another kitchen, of course...

"What are you thinking?" Zhane wanted to know.

She had to smile. "Another kitchen," she admitted. "There'd be more room for the mats if that wasn't there."

"Ah." Zhane sounded amused. "You're in for a surprise, then. Come this way."

He pushed her gently to turn her toward the left, into a little niche that she realized was a hallway when he started pushing doors open. "Bathroom," he said, opening the one on the left. "Changing room," he said, of the one directly in front of them, then added pointedly, "With shower."

Then he opened the one on the right and stepped back. "Exercise room," he said, with a very satisfied tone. "Has its own mats and mirrors, room for gear, equipment, you name it. And--" He smirked at her wide-eyed expression. "Walk all the way to the back and tell me what you see."

She couldn't help giggling, not because it was funny, but because this was crazy. His enthusiasm was contagious, though, and she skipped part of the way across the room. "Keep going," Zhane called, when she slowed down on the other side.

"There's just a door," she reported, glancing around to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Yeah." Zhane was leaning against the doorframe they'd just come through. "Open it."

It was smaller than almost every other door she'd seen in this house, and again, it looked like just a closet door or something. But she pulled it open obediently, and it took her a moment to process what she was seeing. A little spiral staircase leading up to the next floor.

"Oh," she breathed, on the verge of laughter again. She darted up the stairs, turning around at the top to confirm that she was right outside the master suite's bathroom. "Zhane!"

She bounced back downstairs again and found Zhane peering around the door at her from the exercise room. "Andros' private house!" she exclaimed, and now she did laugh. Their occasionally anti-social Red Ranger would be able to move between the only two places in the house he cared about without having to venture out into the "public" part of the residence.

Zhane was grinning at her. "Yeah, and you know what else is cool?"

"Everything?" she guessed, delighted.

"Exactly," he agreed, but he was already gesturing for her to follow him back across the exercise room. "Including this. You know that kitchen you were complaining about?"

"Oh, I wasn't complaining," she said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Just observing."

Zhane vanished back into the main room, and she caught up just as he was opening a door at the back of the little kitchen. "Come on," he said, still grinning. "Kitchen here..." Through the door was another room, with its own fireplace, and what turned out to be a bedroom with a private bathroom.

"Bedroom and playroom slash work area here," Zhane finished triumphantly, and when he put it like that she got it right away.

"Kae," she guessed, giggling when he pointed at her.

"Yes! Astrea doesn't have anything to do in her room while he's sleeping, but she doesn't like to leave him alone at night. Here he can sleep in the back and she still has the things she needs close by so she can hear him if he wakes up."

He looked so proud of himself that she knew she didn't have to say anything. She just threw her arms around him and closed her eyes when he hugged her tightly in return. "You're the best," she whispered, and she felt him nod.

"Yes," he agreed quietly, the grin still in his voice. "I am. That's true."

She pulled away with a laugh, squeezing his hand before she let go. "Okay, show me Ty's room and then convince me that anyone will ever let us have this house, because I know we wouldn't be here if you didn't think it could happen."

"Oh, it's going to happen," Zhane promised. He started walking backwards out of the room, turning only to navigate the kitchen as they headed back toward the stairs. "Keyota's been trying to resettle this area since we came back to KO-35 more than a year ago. There just aren't enough people yet."

"But the lights are on," Ashley said, following him up the stairs. "And everything's--" She stopped in her tracks as something occurred to her. "Oh, god, who used to live here?"

"Hey." Zhane must have heard the shock in her voice, because he came back down to the stair where she'd stopped. "I don't know what happened to them, but we might be able to find out if you want to. A lot of people didn't want to leave Rayven, Ash. Just because they didn't come back to KO-35 doesn't mean they didn't make it out at all."

She swallowed hard. "I want to find out," she said quietly. "I want to know."

"Okay." He didn't argue and he didn't sound upset. "We'll find out. No problem."

Only vaguely mollified, she started up the stairs again. More slowly this time, and now she stopped on the first floor. "Where are the rest of their things?" she wanted to know, looking around. There was plenty of furniture around, more than people who had deliberately moved out would have left, but there weren't any personal things. No books in the library, no pictures on the walls, no food in the pantry.

"The government would have sent someone in as part of the reclamation effort," Zhane said quietly. "Like I said, Keyota's been trying to resettle this area. That's why we have power, and water, and programmable locks. The structure and all the house's systems have been checked recently."

"But where did all their things go?" Ashley insisted. "And how do we know they don't want to come back? Maybe they're fine, maybe they just haven't been able to get out here yet..."

"There was a grace period," Zhane said. "KOSN kept track of everyone who came and went and where they ended up for as long as they were registered with the refugees. Once their record ends, there's a grace period for anyone who got lost in the shuffle to come forward and make a claim. Then the land and the buildings are taken over by the government."

"And all their things?" she repeated, in a small voice.

"They would have had time to take some things with them," he said softly. "To be honest, I don't know what happens to the rest. But we can probably find that out too."

She nodded, unable to answer for a long moment. Then Zhane put a tentative hand on her shoulder, and she let him draw her into a gentle embrace. "No one gets kicked out or left behind or abandoned," she heard him whisper. "This is KO-35, Ash. We take care of our own."

She hugged him tighter, closing her eyes. "I know," she murmured. "I know. It's just..."

"Hard," he finished, when she trailed off. "We're Rangers in frontier space; hard is what we do. And this planet has come a long way in a year."

"Yeah," she whispered. "I know."

They stood there for a long moment, and Zhane didn't let her go. He waited until she squeezed him again and then loosened her grip before he drew his head back and studied her face carefully. She managed a smile, and Zhane kissed her cheek. He caught her hand before she could pull away and tugged her gently toward the stairs again.

"The best thing we can do," he told her as she followed him up reluctantly, "is to live the way they wanted to. Or the way they are living, wherever they are now. If they had to leave their home, they would have wanted it to mean something. They would have wanted the people they left it for to be happy."

"I know," she repeated automatically, stifling a sigh. She loved KO-35 most of the time, but every now and then, something would remind her that it had the most frighteningly tragic history.

"Ash." Zhane pulled her up the last couple of steps and then made her stop at the top of the stairs. "I know we sort of agreed never to talk about this again, and maybe I'm saying totally the wrong thing, but remember me being mostly dead in hypersleep?"

She was shocked into looking at him. "You weren't... I mean--"

"I told you," he continued, "that I wished I hadn't died. I didn't say I wished he'd never met you, because I didn't. I didn't wish that."

"I know--" she began, but he didn't let her finish.

"I died to save Andros," he told her. "Until he met you, that didn't mean anything, because he might as well have died with me. I never wanted that, for him to be so depressed that he wasn't even living. I wanted him to be happy. And he was happy with you--he is happy with you. That's what I wanted.

"That's what they want," he added, looking around the silent hallway where they stood. "They want this house to mean something. And it can--it can mean something to us. That's the best way to honor the people who built it."

She swallowed, but she managed to nod, and he lifted her hand to kiss her fingers softly. She almost smiled, and he must have seen the lightening of her expression, because he squeezed her hand as he let it fall. "Okay?" Zhane asked quietly.

She nodded again. "Okay," she said aloud. "Yes. But I still want to know who they were."

"Sure," he said with a half-smile. "I'll find out for you. I promise."

Ashley took a deep breath, looking around at last. "So, um..." She pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face with her hand. "Does this mean that Ty gets the whole second floor?"

"If he wants it," Zhane said, with a more genuine smile. "Why not?

"Room without a bathroom," he added, pointing toward their right. "Great windows. Guest bathroom," he said, pointing to their left. "And Ty's room, right around the corner. Has its own bathroom, and the only outdoor balcony in the house."

"For his plants," Ashley murmured, subdued but not completely immune to the spirit of the thing.

"Yeah, if he ever grows anything that likes sunlight," Zhane said dryly. His tone, too, was quieter. More respectful, maybe... but not sad. Rarely sad.

"Those are the stairs that go down to the foyer," he said, pausing by the doorway to the room he'd marked as Ty's. "The two bedrooms on the other side share a bathroom, but there are doors, so you can close other people out if you want to."

She smiled at that, mostly because she thought he expected her to, but she turned to look into Ty's room instead of going over to investigate. It did have a balcony, and a sliding glass door like the one downstairs in the kitchen. She thought she could see moonlight through the door, despite the light in the room.

"Lights off," she said impulsively. Whatever system controlled the voice response seemed to recognize that as a localized command, and it turned off only the lights in the room she'd just entered. Sure enough, moonlight streamed in through the glass door and spilled across the floor, stretching toward her and stopping just short of her feet.

She looked at it for a moment, then stepped into the light and walked over to the door. She lifted her face to the planet hanging in the star-soaked sky outside, and between one breath and the next she became aware of Zhane standing beside her. "I like it," she said quietly.

"Yeah?" She could hear him smiling, and she knew he understood. "Me too."

17. Welcome to Wayward

They had less than a day before family support was due to check up on them when Zhane was reminded that he lived with people who didn't do anything a little at a time. The reminder came in the form of music, pounding through the very conductive walls of the hangar like the alert system gone haywire. Music that started before he was fully awake, although for obvious reasons that state didn't last very long.

He stared up at the ceiling through the glittering tulle Ashley had draped over his hammock two days ago and considered his options. In the end, though, there was really only one that was realistic. Or any fun at all.

So Zhane wandered out of his room in his pajamas, leaned over the catwalk railing, and observed the chaos taking place below for about a second and a half. That was all the time it took for him to figure out what was happening. He should have known better than to suggest half measures to the people who had joined a rebellion in another dimension because they had nothing better to do.

"Hey, Ash!" he shouted over the music, waving when she looked up from the middle of her book-and-furniture collection. "I thought you were going to take the morning off!"

She laughed. "I did! It's practically lunch time!"

Zhane was the only one not down there already, and he concluded that the music had been aimed mostly at him. He opened his mouth to protest her definition of "morning off" when a recorded voice came on over the noise. "They've got a power and a force that you've never seen before..."

He would have written it off as one of Ashley's inspirational music choices if the next line hadn't made him doubt what he was hearing. "They've got the ability to morph and to even up the score..."

"What's with the music?" he called down to her, and by now they had gotten Carlos' attention. The Black Earth Ranger must be helping her move things around, because his activity was clearly on hold without her.

"Isn't it great?" Carlos shouted over the sound of the orchestra. "No one will ever take them down--" "We have our own theme music!"

Zhane stared down at them in disbelief. "What is this?" he wanted to know. "Is this from Earth?" Earth didn't even know who its Rangers were. How did they have theme music?

"Yes!" Ashley called cheerfully. "Come down here and help us, and we'll tell you all about it!"

He chuckled at her not very convincing effort at bribery. "I think you overestimate how much I care," he told her, but then he heard "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," and there had to be good joke material in this story so he added, "I'll be right down."

He wasn't right down, because he knew them and he'd been doomed the moment he left his room. The least he could do was shower and change before he subjected himself to what was probably Andros' definition of a strategic move. From one base of operations to another--no matter their need for a kid-friendly environment--Andros would see this as something to be accomplished in as short and efficient a time as possible.

By the time he made his way into the kitchen, which Kae was currently helping Ty tear apart, the music had calmed down a little. He did hear "I've got the Power" periodically, but it was easier to talk over than whatever had been on before. He grinned when Ty rolled his eyes, then glanced over his shoulder when Ty's silence warned him of Andros' approach.

Andros greeted him with a distracted smile. "Kae," he said, gaze flicking to Ty and then down to the boy. "Kerone needs some help with the workroom."

Kae looked at Ty too. Ty just nodded, and the boy set down the pan he'd been carrying and scurried off without a word. His former supervisor waited until he had disappeared behind the workroom door to sigh.

"Thank you," Ty said fervently, and Andros' smile returned.

"We'll take turns," he promised. "Thanks for keeping him away from the knives."

"Thanks for giving him to me before we'd sent all the food over," Ty returned. "Every time he moved something useful, I gave him a cracker. Surprisingly effective."

"Let's add that to the very short list of ways to get Kae to behave," Andros said, and they exchanged commiserating glances that made Zhane shake his head in amusement. How Andros and Ty had managed to bond over anything, let alone a child, was still more of a mystery to him than it should be.

"Speaking of," and now Andros was eyeing him. "If you want to eat here, you should probably do it soon. We're about to start moving the second round, and I'm pretty sure that includes the rest of the food."

"The second round?" Zhane repeated. "Actually--" He thought about that, then backed up. "Moving?"

"I'd love to know what you think we're doing," Ty said with a grin. "If not moving everything we own from one side of Keyota to the other."

Zhane looked around, but there didn't seem to be any good answer to that. "Me too," he said at last. "Just out of curiosity, have you even seen the house that we're apparently half moved into yet?"

Andros and Ty looked at each other again, and at the exact same time, they both shrugged. It would have been enough to make Zhane laugh if he wasn't so busy rolling his eyes. This was exactly why he and Ashley had picked the house.

"We saw it," Ty said, like he didn't see why it mattered. "It has plenty of space."

"And privacy," Andros agreed. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "It's great. Thanks for finding it."

Zhane reminded himself that he didn't love them because they understood the social implications of living with a large group of unrelated people. This was easier to remember when Ty offered to drop what he was doing and make him breakfast. Andros raised his eyebrows but for once didn't comment, so Zhane happily took him up on it.

They were dawdling over the remains of the impromptu meal, mostly ignoring the chaos around them, when Karen and Gabe appeared. Literally, appeared right in the middle of the hangar's living space, narrowly missing the furniture gathered in the center of the library. DECA must be teleporting them today, Zhane decided.

"Hi!" Karen called, as though the rest of the hangar might not have noticed their arrival. "We have good news and bad news!"

"And interesting news," Gabe put in. "Unrelated to the first, I might add."

"Good news first," Ashley said, hopping up on top of the kitchen counter. All the stools had been collected off to one side.

"Hello," Zhane said, moving his glass out of her way.

She grinned down at him. "Hello."

She'd picked the right direction, though, because Gabe was joining them in the kitchen with a plate of something that looked very edible. "Good news," he agreed. "Your neighbors make great cookies."

"Bad news," Karen remarked, following him into the kitchen. "Your neighbors have figured out someone's moving in."

"And," Gabe concluded, "interesting sidenote: did you know there's a campground out behind your house?"

Ashley looked down at him curiously, and Zhane smiled.

"What kind of campground?" Ty wanted to know.

"Tent sites," Karen said, snagging a cookie from the plate Gabe had just set down. "Maybe. Places that look like they used to be cleared, anyway, down by the river. It's pretty overgrown, but you can see where there used to be paths, and we found a sign."

"River?" Ty looked surprised. "I didn't know there was a river."

"That's what you get for not looking before you move in," Zhane informed him.

"What does the sign say?" Carlos asked, leaning on the counter beside Ashley. "What kind of cookies are these?"

"The good kind," Karen told him.

"Did you talk to the neighbors?" Andros wanted to know, finally joining them in the kitchen. He gave the plate of cookies a fleeting, possibly suspicious, glance.

Before Zhane could reach around Ash to prove the cookies weren't poisonous, she picked one up and passed it to him. She winked when he thanked her, and it reminded him of their missing teammate. Their two missing teammates, if he counted Kae.

"Hey, Astrea!" Zhane shouted, leaning back from the counter so he didn't deafen anyone. "Cookies!"

"We don't actually know that it was neighbors who left them," Gabe admitted, and Ashley stopped with a cookie halfway to her mouth.

"Oh, please," Karen said, rolling her eyes. "We had DECA check them first. They're fine."

"They were left on the doorstep when we got back from scouting the campground," Gabe added. "With a welcome note."

"Oh, right." Karen straightened up and fished something out of her pocket. "'Welcome to Wayward.' Is that the name of the neighborhood or the street or something? We saw it on the sign, too."

"It's the name of the campground," Zhane corrected. "Wayward Commune. The neighborhood grew up around it as the kids who lived there moved out."

"What's going on?" Astrea emerged from the workroom with Kae trailing behind her, her gaze settling on the group in the kitchen. "Did you say cookies?"

"Cookies," Ashley agreed delightedly. "From the neighbors!"

"Or whoever," Gabe added.

"They're good, too." Zhane floated first one cookie, then a second, over the rapidly closing distance between Astrea and the kitchen. She passed the first one to Kae, who didn't look particularly excited about it, and actually took the second one for herself. Zhane hadn't been sure she was eating today.

"How late did you stay up last night doing research?" Ashley asked, distracting him from his cookie levitation. "I didn't mean I had to know right away!" But she looked happy about it anyway, and so he brushed it off.

"Maybe I wanted to know," he suggested with pretend indignation. "Did you ever think of that?"

"How late?" she insisted, nudging him with her knee.

"Later than you," he replied, because what did it matter when they'd let him sleep all morning? "Don't worry, you made it up to me by doing all this--" He waved his hand at the hangar. "Moving stuff."

"There's still plenty left for you," Andros put in. He'd deigned to take a cookie, though he hadn't actually bitten into it yet. "Don't expect us to pack up your room for you."

"No?" Zhane gave him a look of mock-surprise. "Not even for cookies?"

Andros smiled at his nonsensical joke, Ashley passed him another cookie, and Zhane decided that it was going to be a good day.

"Hey." Ashley found him in the exercise room downstairs, stowing the equipment DECA had teleported over from the hangar. "Busy?"

"Just finishing up," Andros promised, stepping out of the way to let her peer into the equipment room. "What do you think?"

"Very nice," she said, giving it a cursory look. He smiled to himself. Ashley didn't care how their gear was arranged as long as she could find her own. But she was perfectly happy to let him care.

"We're going to want new mats down here," he added. Surveying the exercise room again, he wondered aloud, "What do you think about bringing over the ones from the hangar?"

"These are too old?" Ashley didn't wait for an answer before she kicked her shoes off and bounced on the nearest mat experimentally. It cracked a little under her feet. "Yeah," she said, catching his eye. "I see what you mean."

"I think ours would fit," he remarked. "At least most of them. We could store the extras up against the wall as replacement mats."

"Sure," Ashley agreed, following his gaze. "I'll help you stack them up for DECA, if you want. And lay them out again down here."

"That'd be great." He almost asked if she'd help haul out the old ones before he remembered she'd wanted to know if he was busy. "Did you want help with something first?"

"No, just a question." She hesitated, wrinkling her nose. "This is weird," she said with a self-conscious laugh. "It's weird with Zhane, but it's even weirder with you, because we don't ever talk about it."

She had his full attention. "What's weird?"

"Um..." Ashley pushed her hair back over her shoulder, a gesture Andros had seen a hundred times before. But now, all of a sudden, he identified it. Kerone did the same thing when she was nervous. It had been one of Astronema's tells.

"The bedroom thing," Ashley said quickly. "Zhane and I are taking rooms upstairs. Do you want one?"

Andros frowned, caught off guard. "A bedroom?"

"A second bedroom," Ashley clarified. "Somewhere to... get away from everyone else, if you need to. There's three bedrooms upstairs, plus Ty's, so there's plenty of room."

She acted like he should know what she was talking about, but clearly he was missing something. "Why would I need a second bedroom?"

Ashley gave him an odd look. "Zhane did talk to you, right? About the master bedroom thing, and--" She gestured in a way that didn't mean anything to him. "All that?"

"Master bedroom?" Andros repeated. Reassessing her expression, he added, "I... didn't know there was one?"

It might not have been the right answer, but it seemed to be close enough. Ashley broke into a smile, and she shook her head. "You guys really just took our word for it, didn't you. You didn't even look at the house."

"I've looked," Andros protested. "I'm looking right now. As we go. It's very nice."

"Yes, it is," Ashley agreed. She looked amused, which probably wasn't a bad sign. "And where are you going to sleep?"

"In... a bedroom?" he suggested.

This actually made her laugh. "Come on," she said, reaching for his hand. He let her pull him toward the far end of the room, and he was surprised to find a set of stairs there. Ashley started up them. "I want to show you something," she called over her shoulder.

At the top of the stairs, she paused to peer into whatever room was to her right. It should be the library, he figured, and the assumption was confirmed when he looked over her shoulder. Zhane was in there, entertaining Kae while Kerone fussed with computers and readers and the occasional actual book.

"Thanks for explaining about the bedrooms, Zhane," Ashley declared, hands on her hips as she stared at them from the doorway. Andros wondered where the Earth Rangers had gotten to.

"Sure thing," Zhane said distractedly. Then he looked up from whatever game he was playing and caught sight of her expression. "Oh," he said. "Right. Well, some things are better coming from a woman," he added with a grin.

Ashley stuck her tongue out at him before flouncing off in the other direction. Andros shrugged into the library, and Zhane shrugged back at him. Not without a smirk, but Andros didn't bother to ask--he got the feeling he was about to find out.

The room Ashley led him into was full of tile and mirror and a jacuzzi, which he eyed with interest. But Ashley kept going, calling back to him, "Master suite. Giant bathroom, has its own entryway, and also? There's a fireplace in the bedroom."

Andros wondered who got the master suite. He would have guessed Kerone, except that he was sure he had heard that she and Kae were sleeping downstairs. It should be Ashley, then. She obviously liked it, and--

He paused in the doorway, surprised. Ashley was standing in the middle of the room, arms folded, waiting impatiently for him to join her. "What?" he asked warily, stepping into the room. "You have that look."

It made her smile, even as she cocked her head to the side curiously. He told her without waiting for her to ask. "The one where you're about to ask me something I should have already answered."

Ashley laughed at that. "Well, maybe," she admitted, "but if you should have, then I probably should have too. Zhane surprised me with it last night."

"He's good at that," Andros agreed, considering the room more closely. "This is nice."

"Yeah," Ashley said, letting her arms fall as she turned to take it all in. "Apparently it's ours," she added, as she turned back to him. "Yours and mine and Zhane's. Which is why I was asking about second bedrooms."

It didn't sink in right away, and he just stood there staring at her for a moment.

"Yeah," she repeated, and now her smile seemed more relaxed. "That was pretty much my reaction, too."

"I didn't--" Andros stopped, then tried again. "I didn't really think about that."

"About sleeping?" Ashley suggested. It took him a second to realize she was teasing him, and by then she had added, "Or about all of us sleeping together?"

"I sleep," he informed her. "I just..."

Ashley only waited, more patiently this time.

"I didn't think about it," he repeated awkwardly. "I guess I just--I just figured it would be the same here as it was there. You know," he continued, when she didn't seem to, "everyone in their own room."

"Do you want it to be like that?" she asked, studying him.

"I didn't say that," Andros countered. "I said I didn't think about it, and I didn't. I didn't think about how it would change, or how it should change, I just--didn't think about it."

"Do you want to share a room with us?" Ashley wanted to know.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Of course."

That made her sigh, but she smiled enough to make it seem more fond than annoyed. "It's not a test, Andros. I really want to know. I don't know if I want to share a room with you, if that makes you feel any better."

It was vaguely insulting, actually. "Why not?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Because once I almost dislocated Zhane's shoulder after seeing you kiss? Imagine what I'd do if I saw you sleeping together."

"You've seen us sleeping together," he pointed out.

She raised her eyebrows at him, and he backed off. "Okay. Right. So this isn't just about being in the same room. It's about sex. Right?"

"It's been about sex for a long time," Ashley said quietly.

He was supposed to magically understand this? "Is this one of those things that you and Zhane talk about but you and I never do?" he demanded, suddenly suspicious.

Ashley shrugged a little. "Maybe," she admitted. "Not because I don't want to talk to you," she added quickly. "Just because--I don't know, I guess I'm too embarrassed to bring it up. But Zhane always asks me, so we end up talking about it."

Andros pointed at her. "Wait here," he told her.

He strode out of the room, cut back through the tiled room, and stuck his head into the library. Zhane was helping Kerone with something now, but if it was important they'd tell him. "Zhane, whenever you have a second."

Zhane didn't so much as look up. "Be right there." Important, then.

Andros made his way back into the bedroom. Ashley was over by the window, though she turned the moment he walked through the door. "Zhane's coming," he told her. "I want to talk about this, because until you guys tell me there's a problem, I can't try to fix it."

"It isn't about 'fixing,'" Ashley began, then hesitated.

Andros waited, because it sounded like it was about fixing to him.

"I guess, I was going to say it's about knowing," she said with a sigh, "but that's not really fair, is it."

"If there's something I'm supposed to know that I don't, then I think that needs to be fixed," Andros said evenly. "Maybe we could start with you guys telling me when there's a problem."

"Maybe we could start with you asking us," Ashley countered. "Did you really never think about what happens when you're locked in someone else's room? Am I allowed to knock when you're with Zhane? I don't know what you're doing. What if you and I are watching a movie and Zhane wants to talk to you about something? He doesn't know what we're doing--can he stop by and find out? Can he come in?"

She looked at him for a moment, then continued before he could think of anything to say. "Zhane and I have an open-door policy in our rooms, but you don't. Neither of us would just walk into your room without knocking because we don't know who else might be in there. Does that seem fair?"

"I didn't make up these rules," Andros pointed out, stung. "I didn't even know about them. How is it my responsibility to make them fair if you don't tell me what they are?"

"How can you not notice them?" Ashley demanded. "How can you just go along with whatever we do without ever asking, 'hey, is this okay with everyone?'"

"I don't understand why you're waiting for me to ask," Andros protested. "This isn't what I do, Ash; you know that! I fight, I plan, I train other people to fight and plan. I don't make friends, and I definitely don't pick up lovers!"

"And we're all thankful for that," Zhane drawled from the doorway. "You have plenty--imagine if you'd been trying."

Andros closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Zhane's mere presence diffused the situation slightly, and he realized what he was doing. He was yelling at Ashley for something he hadn't done. She was right, after all: he should have asked her. How hard was it to say, "how are you" and mean it?

"I'm sorry," Andros blurted out. "You're right, I should have asked."

Oddly, this made Ashley glare at Zhane. "Don't tell him to apologize!"

Andros blinked, and Zhane held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't. Really, I didn't, Ash."

"No," Andros said with a sigh. "He didn't, it's just--you're right. I didn't notice those things, but I could have asked if everything was all right. I just assumed you'd say something if it wasn't."

"We should have," Zhane said firmly. "We promised, all of us. We said we'd tell the truth, back when we started this, and lying by omission is just as bad as lying outright. We could all do better there."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say," Ashley insisted. "I've never been in a relationship like this in my life! How do I know when something that seems unfair really is, and when it's just different?"

"You ask," Zhane told her. "That's it, you just ask. And if you asking makes someone uncomfortable, then it's their job to say so. It's not anyone's job to try and guess, okay? If we all speak up when we've got a problem and ask when we've got a question, maybe we could stop second-guessing everything we do."

"It's easy to say," Ashley said with a sigh.

"Yeah, it is," Zhane agreed. "But so is trying, if you stop worrying so much about being wrong. You're not right or wrong, you're just... I don't know." He obviously cast about for an appropriate phrase. "Better informed," he said at last.

There was a moment of silence, and then Ashley murmured, "I feel kind of childish right now."

"Well, I feel stupid," Andros said, smiling to show he was joking even if he wasn't totally, "but that's not unusual when I'm in a room with both of you."

Still in the doorway, Zhane shrugged. "I feel kind of hungry. Are we having lunch at some point?"

"You just ate breakfast!" Ashley exclaimed.

Andros crooked a finger at him. "Come in here," he ordered. "I want to talk about this sleeping together thing."

Zhane exchanged glances with Ashley. "This sounds like an interesting conversation," he remarked, as he did as he was told. "What did I miss?"

"The truth," Andros declared. "What you think about sleeping together, in this room, then sex. In this room," he added. "Go."

Zhane actually laughed. "Why do we have to go first?" he wanted to know. "We've already talked about it! I think you should go first."

"I like sleeping with both of you," Andros replied. "I want you--" He pointed at Zhane. "Not to wake me up when you come in at night, and I want you--" He pointed at Ashley. "Not to wake me up when you get up in the morning, but even with that, I like sleeping with you more than I like sleeping alone."

Ashley looked over at Zhane. "He's pretty good when you put him on the spot," she offered, smiling a little.

"He's good under pressure," Zhane agreed, and Andros rolled his eyes.

"When it comes to sex," he continued, determined not to lose his momentum, "I'm not comfortable with someone watching. But I'm not--totally against the idea of... everyone participating." And that was all he was saying.

Zhane nodded, like that was perfectly normal, and gave Ashley an inquiring look. "How 'bout you?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. "Pass?" she suggested, then shook her head. "No, wait. Okay--I've never slept with you," she told Zhane quickly. "I don't know if I'd mind or not. I guess... I'm willing to try."

"You don't have to guess," he interrupted. "Remember? You're willing to try or you're not. Both are fine."

"I'm willing to try," she said. "Sleeping together. Not sex. Sorry," she said, wrinkling her nose apologetically. "Sex is private."

"Okay," Zhane agreed easily. "Sex that you're involved in, or any sex? I'm just curious," he added, his eyes flicking to Andros before they went back to her. "Would you watch someone else having sex?"

"No." It was obvious that she didn't have to think about it. "Sex is private," she repeated. "I'm okay with the idea that you guys are sleeping--" She corrected herself. "Having sex, but if you're in here, then I'm going to be somewhere else."

"What about walking in?" Zhane asked. "If we're all going to share a room, we can't have anything but equal access. There's no locking anyone out, obviously. So is it okay with you if you walk in on sex? Can you come in and get something, or talk to us, or whatever you need?"

"Um... I'd rather not," Ashley said hesitantly. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Zhane reminded her. "It's like Truth Or Dare, only without the dare. The only thing you apologize for is not telling the truth."

She managed to smile at that. "Well, I know better than to play Truth Or Dare with you after the last time."

Zhane just smirked. "So, my turn?"

Ashley nodded wordlessly.

"I'd have sex with either of you," he informed them. "And I don't care who's watching. Well--" He paused, then amended, "As long as they live in this house. And they're an appropriate age.

"Also," he continued, glancing at Andros, "kind of liking the idea of everyone participating, but--" And now he looked directly at Ashley. "I will never make a move on you that I think you're uncomfortable with, and if I do something you don't like, tell me.

"You don't have to worry about changing in front of me," Zhane added, "but I'll understand if you don't want to."

Ashley crossed her arms over her chest. She managed a smile for Zhane, though, and Andros wondered if Zhane had deliberately skipped to the sex part of the question. "What about sleeping together?" he prompted.

Oddly, that was where Zhane hesitated. "I don't really like sleeping with people," he said after a moment. "At least, not every night. But, hey." He smiled back at Ashley. "I'm willing to give it a try."

"You could put up your hammock," Ashley murmured, moving closer to nudge him with her shoulder. "That way you'd have choices."

"Yeah," he said, his smile widening. "Cause Andros really loves that hammock."

"You know why I don't like it," Andros said, rolling his eyes. "Because I don't want to sleep in it," he added, as an aside to Ashley. "It's fine if you sleep in it," he told Zhane.

"Good." Zhane nodded, pleased. He looked as though they had just solved several problems at once, instead of just starting to figure out what they were. "So are we all at least willing to try sleeping in the same room, sometimes?"

Andros opened his mouth to ask if even a positive answer really "fixed" anything, but Ashley was nodding and for some reason that made him pause. "I am," she agreed. Andros suddenly thought that she looked more comfortable than she had since this conversation had started. "Let's do it."

"Yeah," Andros said abruptly. Because seeing Ashley be positive about the idea was more surprising than it should have been, and he didn't want to mess that up. "I want to try too."

"Me too," Zhane declared. "So now we know." And Andros thought suddenly that maybe Ashley had been right after all, that it was more about knowing than about fixing.

"I was serious about lunch, by the way." Zhane was eyeing them both expectantly. "Unless there are any more looming interpersonal crises, I'm going to get something to eat."

"Go," Ashley said, bumping his shoulder again with a laugh. "Maybe you can get Ty to make you lunch, too.

"Oh, wait," she said suddenly. "The rooms upstairs--Andros, do you want one?"

"Doesn't matter," Zhane interjected. "He won't want ours anyway. The one in the back is at the top of the only useful stairs in the house, and it doesn't look out on the street. It's strategically significant and private at the same time. No need for us to wait on him to make a decision."

Andros looked from one of them to the other. "What?"

"We picked bedrooms upstairs," Ashley explained. "I thought it would be polite to wait and make sure you didn't mind getting stuck with the one in the back, but apparently it's the one you would have picked anyway."

A muffled knock prevented Andros from asking anymore questions. The door on the other side of the entryway swung open immediately, and there was a pause as whoever was out there figured out that there was another door. Then Karen stuck her head into the bedroom and asked, "Do any of you like lasagna?"

"Is that food?" Zhane wanted to know.

"Yeah," Karen said. "Your neighbors are good cooks."

It was a good legacy to inherit, Kerone decided, staring down the hill in the direction of the river. Trees obscured the water, but the remains of paths and various gathering areas could still be seen in the overgrowth nearer the house. There were crude arches and garden trellises and stone piles that she couldn't interpret. Most of all, though, there was the sense that something important had existed here, and she liked that.

Zhane seemed to like it too. He and Carlos had gone off, ostensibly to find the sign that Karen and Gabe had reported earlier, but probably mostly to explore. And maybe to get away from the house for a little while. It was a big house, and it absorbed them all easily, but Zhane especially seemed to be in demand today.

It was almost as though they were trying to make up for a Zhane deficit, Kerone mused. He had been conspicuously absent from JT's dimension, content to lay low the day after they returned, and then gone all of yesterday on his "secret mission." Now, suddenly, everyone needed him for something.

He hadn't actually moved a single thing himself. He had been too busy chatting or helping other people move things or explaining the history of the place where they now lived. Kerone didn't begrudge him the time off, wandering in the woods--she fully intended to move his things herself, if it came to that.

"Hey, Astrea!" The use of her nickname made her smile, and she looked around to see Ty hanging out the kitchen door. "Ash says you can waterproof things. Furniture?"

She nodded, glancing around the deck. "You want to put something out here?"

Ty grinned. "Anything from the hangar that you don't want for your rooms. Ash says she'll get nostalgic if we leave things behind and she has to see them every time she's over there. She's given her permission to leave the stools in the kitchen, but the rest of it has to come with us: the table, the bowl chair--"

"Oh, I want the bowl chair," Kerone interrupted. "The table would be fine out here, though. Is it inside?"

"Yeah, DECA dumped everything in the living room." Ty stepped back and held the door for her. "Did you get something to eat?"

"Just cookies," she admitted, slipping into the kitchen ahead of him. "Is there any of that lasagna left?"

"Sure is." Ty nodded toward the counter island where Gabe and Ashley were sitting, dishes pushed to one side as they pored over something spread out between them. "Lasagna, plus some fresh fruit someone dropped off a few minutes ago."

"Someone?" Kerone repeated, amused. There was a basket next to the lasagna casserole now, and it looked like it had more than one type of fruit in it. Homegrown, she wondered?

"They're not knocking," Ty explained. "Andros says he saw a kid leaving just after the fruit incident--I think he's lurking by the windows, trying to catch them in the act."

"Which is just silly," Ashley added, looking up from the papers she and Gabe were studying. "They must have figured out it was us, and they know they're not supposed to bother us when we're off-duty. So they're doing an anonymous housewarming."

"It's not anonymous enough," Andros grumbled, surprising them with his sudden presence, "if they know who we are." He must have just come down the stairs. There were, after all, windows on the landing.

"Oh, please!" Ashley was the only one who could laugh at Andros and make him look embarrassed instead of annoyed, Kerone thought. "Zhane was in and out all day yesterday, and he must have talked to a dozen different people. And the rest of us have been a lot less subtle today."

"Besides," Gabe added, "I think the kids come up here to play. There are tracks everywhere. The house has been abandoned for a while, right? Everyone in the neighborhood probably keeps an eye on it."

"They can stop now," Andros muttered.

Kerone glanced at Ashley, but this time she just smiled. Kerone's eye was drawn to the paper on the counter--not paper at all, but 2D pictures. "Photos?" she guessed, sliding onto a stool beside Gabe. "What of?"

"Ranger party," Gabe said with a grin. "Out at the Mega V base. Some of the SOS came, and KERI took pictures."

That was familiar, and Kerone frowned thoughtfully. "SOS... Significant others and siblings of Power Rangers?"

Gabe nodded, but Ashley was looking at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"Cassie told us." That didn't seem to mean anything to Ashley, so she thought back. "I guess you weren't there," she realized. "After the battle at Rysia, Zhane asked if borrowing the astromorphers had gotten anyone in trouble, and Cassie said everyone was used to the Rangers' SOS vanishing without explanation."

Ashley blinked. "Rysia? Really? Wow, that was... a year ago, at least. No--senior year. Two years ago. You really remember that?"

"I still recognize every quantron that ever served on the Dark Fortress," Kerone pointed out mildly.

"Yeah, because they glow," Ashley retorted.

Kerone smiled. "Better than a mnemonic."

Andros was serving himself a piece of lasagna and trying to peer over Ashley's shoulder at the same time. "What were you doing at the Mega V base?"

"Having a party, obviously," Ashley teased. "Did you want to be invited?"

"Moving the shuttle," Gabe answered. "Since Tessa stopped using it, NASADA's gotten kind of strict about who has access and when. TJ figured we could either fight about it or move it."

Andros accepted this without question, which Kerone wouldn't have expected if she'd had to guess, but he was leaning away from the counter to look back he way he'd come. He pulled out a couple of forks as he called, "Want something to eat, Kae?"

Kae's soft reply was actually audible in the kitchen, which was new and different and very welcome. "No," he answered.

"He's riding the elevator," Andros said, catching her wordless inquiry. He leaned on the counter across from her and pushed the plate into the middle. Nodding at the lasagna as he picked up one of the forks, he added, "Help yourself."

Kerone couldn't help the odd look she sent in Andros' direction. "The elevator?"

"Oh, come on." Ty paused in his idle reorganization of kitchen cabinets to give her a skeptical look. "You can't tell me you don't remember how fun elevators were as a kid. The door closes, you push a button, and hey! The door opens somewhere else."

"He shoots down velocifighters via holographic interface from a Power-enhanced battleship for fun," Andros remarked without looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah, but an elevator," Ty reminded him. "What's not fun about that?"

"Would you hand me another plate?" Kerone asked, sticking her fork into the lasagna. "And a knife and spoon?"

Andros did as she asked, though he gave her a puzzled look when she scooped out a small piece of lasagna and started crisscrossing it with the knife. She tilted her head toward the door he'd come through, keeping her voice quiet. "He needs to get used to being asked, but don't take his answers too seriously."

Everyone had stopped to listen, and she saw Ashley and Ty exchange glances. "Juice?" Ty asked at last.

She smiled. "Yes, thanks."

"Hey, guys," Karen called cheerfully, swinging through the door that led out to the skyport. "I finished moving my stuff downstairs. Anyone else want help?"

"We're taking a break," Ashley answered for all of them. "I want to send my parents a video of the house. Come help me decide what to tell them."

"'Hi Mom, I moved into a commune'?" Karen suggested. She leaned against the other end of the counter and added, "Someone with telekinesis, pass me a piece of fruit."

Ashley reached out before anyone else could, pointing at the bowl. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a piece of fruit started to wobble into the air. It came toward Ashley, bobbing gently without dropping, and finally landed in her hand. She passed it to Karen with a flourish.

"Hey, impressive!" Karen exclaimed. Kerone clapped, and Ty joined in belatedly.

"The Center's really teaching you something," Ty said, grinning. "Maybe I should go."

"Kerone?" She looked down to see Kae with his hands on the stool next to her. She patted the stool to indicate that it was fine, and he climbed up without another word.

He reached for the plate with its chopped up lasagna and spoon with nothing but a sidelong glance around the counter, maybe checking to see if anyone would chide him for taking it. The best thing to do when he got like that seemed to be to ignore him, so she did. The rest of the Rangers followed her example.

"I can mostly just make things come toward me," Ashley was saying. "And that's pretty much my size limit. You should see some of the kids there, though--some of them can lift each other!"

"That would be useful," Ty said, giving Kae a significant look.

Kerone caught Andros' eye, and the smirk he gave her said he thought he could do it. "Don't you dare," she said, hoping her voice was calm enough that it wouldn't attract Kae's attention. "Or we'll see how much telekinesis you can do as a frog."

"That would be a good opening to your video," Karen put in. "'Hi Mom, hi Dad, here's my boyfriend! Isn't he looking... green?'"

"You could use a soundtrack," Ty offered. "Whatever you were playing before would be good. You could call your video 'Power Rangers: Real Estate.'"

"Alpha's song," Ashley said with a laugh. "I think that would make a good background for all of us running around, getting lost in our own house, and being surprised by mysterious neighbors bringing food."

Andros reached over and opened Kae's juice for him. "What song is this?" he wanted to know.

Ashley lifted her morpher. "DECA?" she asked. "Could you play Alpha's song for us?"

"Certainly, Ashley." DECA's voice was different over their morphers, but unfortunately duplicating the sensor net and projection system that she used at the hangar would take more time than they had left today.

"Ayiyiyiyi!"

Kerone blinked, but a singer's voice immediately replaced Alpha, echoing him. She had forgotten how much that phrase used to annoy her--yet strangely, hearing it now, it made her smile. The little robot had gotten in Astronema's way a hundred times, but after she had joined the Rangers he seemed to hold no grudges.

"This is Alpha's song?" Gabe sounded amused.

"It gets better," Ashley assured him. She was just in time.

"Alpha, we need your help--are you there?" Kerone's smile widened, and she couldn't help giggling when the singer continued, "Rita's evil curse is in the air..."

"Rita," she murmured to herself. "What's Rita doing now?"

At the same time, Karen asked, "Who's Pterodactyl?"

"Kim Hart," Gabe answered. "She comes by the dojo sometimes."

"You know I have no idea what you're talking about, right?" Ty's remark seemed to be addressed to the kitchen as a whole, but he happened to be looking at Gabe.

"Earth Rangers," Gabe offered. "Kim was the first Pink Ranger for our planet."

"She flew a pterodactyl zord," Karen put in. "She and her team were all dinosaurs, for some reason that I never really figured out. I like the spaceships better," she added.

"And..." Ty looked at them expectantly. "Who's Alpha?"

"Zordon's personal assistant," Ashley answered.

Andros snorted, and Ashley rolled her eyes at him. "Well, originally," she insisted, partly disguising her smile with mock-indignation. "He stayed on Earth when Zordon left, but Alpha came with us when we went looking for him later."

"He was your sidekick," Andros translated.

"He's a friendly robot who annoys you by being too smart," Ashley countered.

"He annoys me by being annoying," Andros informed her. "Ask Saryn. He'll tell you the same thing."

"DECA likes him," Ashley said, her smile more obvious now.

"When he's not beating her at chess," Andros agreed.

"He's a robot?" Ty interrupted. "Where is he now?"

"He was on Eltare last I knew," Ashley told him. "Justin works with him sometimes."

"Your interdimensional friend?" Ty just shook his head. "Yeah, Justin I remember. Is Alpha one of those Robot Rangers, then?"

"Kerone?" Kae said quietly. He was holding his juice bottle in one hand, but it didn't look like he'd had anything to drink from it yet. "Cup?"

"Would you like a cup?" she inquired. Ashley was still trying to explain what Alpha was to Ty, but Andros seemed to be staying mostly out of it so she got her brother's attention instead. "Would you hand me a cup for Kae?"

Andros glanced over his shoulder, opened a cabinet, pulled a cup out, and set it down carefully in front of Kae. All without touching it. Kerone couldn't help smiling. "Showoff," she teased.

"No," he said with a grin. "Pouring it for you would be showing off. I will if you want," he added, winking at her.

"Yes," Kae said.

Kerone glanced at him. "Do you want Andros to pour your juice for you?"

Kae squirmed forward on his stool and wrapped both hands around his cup. "Pour?" he said hesitantly. He was looking at Andros.

"Happy to help," Andros agreed. He looked particularly smug as the juice bottle rose up off the table and poured itself easily into Kae's cup. It tipped back about halfway through, cutting off the flow as it continued to hover in the air. "More?" Andros inquired innocently.

He really was an insufferable showoff sometimes, Kerone thought fondly.

"We've got a plan, we can make it without megazords--" The song in the background was almost as ridiculous as her brother's expression when Kae reached out and grabbed the juice bottle, spilling it all over the counter, and Kerone laughed aloud.

Her life hadn't gotten any less interesting when she left the Dark Fortress, she decided. As she watched Andros and Ty realize at the same time that neither of them knew where the towels were, she figured it wasn't any less entertaining, either. It was just a lot more important.

18. Why We Go

Ty wasn't sure when he'd realized it, but it might have been the day that Kae came home from his first day of school. Family support had approved two months of private tutoring for the boy while he worked with a counselor to overcome his biggest post-traumatic environmental triggers. While the long list of things that were more important than socialization finally started to dwindle, DECA managed to improve his language skills to a point where he could handle group learning and games.

So Kae started school on the first day of the fall session, and when he came home he was calling Astrea "Ma." He started calling Ashley "Ma" too, and he soon decided that the rest of the house was "Pa." There was nothing they could do to discourage him--not that anyone tried very hard. They did sit down and have a talk with him about where he had come from, what he was doing with them now, and why Astrea and Ashley were the ones that his teachers needed to contact when he needed permission for something.

Kae listened. Then he explained to them that parents were people who lived with you and took care of you and it didn't really matter if they were related to you or not. He knew, because one of the girls in his class was an alien orphan with Kerovan parents and another one had an alien mom. Just like Ashley, Kae said.

This led to a discussion of the word "alien," and why Ashley wasn't one even though she was from another planet, and why Kerone technically was even though she was from KO-35. Ty wasn't sure how much of that Kae really got, but he nodded in the right places. And he kept right on calling all of them "Ma" and "Pa."

If it wasn't that day, it might have been the day that Kae's original rescuer sent them a text transmission from JT's dimension. I win, it said. Dark Spectre loses. Quantrons destroyed in the crossfire. Yours too. Small favor in payment of my debt to you. Let me know if there's anything else I can do.

The confusion this created in the house was indescribable. Ty began to understand that the seemingly inexplicable evil Rangers faced during their tours of duty was occasionally balanced by good that was equally difficult to fathom. Because the message from Astronema was no joke, and when she said "yours too" it turned out that she was referring to the spontaneous disappearance of every quantron in and beyond Border space.

She called it a "small favor." When someone finally got hold of JT to confirm the origin of the message, it became clear that in relation to what she'd done there this was less of an understatement than it seemed. In her dimension, her quantrons had actually turned on the forces of evil before they went, taking uncountable numbers of foot soldiers with them. And Dark Spectre wasn't the only leader destroyed--she had decimated his chain of command before openly throwing in with the Free Systems and declaring every world she held neutral territory under Ranger law.

Kerone was the only one who didn't seem particularly surprised by this news. Ty made a note to never anger her in the future. Or to side with anyone who did.

As hard as that day was to believe, though, his most vivid memory of it would always be the message that "Aisling" sent him afterward. I kept my word to Astronema, it said. I tracked Ryse to a rebel stronghold on Calijyt. He's still there, neutral territory now, along with the man who led his rescuers on the Dark Fortress: you.

Ty had taken everyone's patrol for a week, spending as much time as possible above the planet and away from their questions and concern. Because, to his surprise, the news was bittersweet but somehow distant, as though it belonged to someone else. Someone in another dimension, maybe.

Someone he wasn't anymore.

It might have been the day Karen came back to visit--a holiday in the middle of her own school session, she said--and told them that she had started to study anthropology because "there are people on Earth even weirder than you!" Her apparent sincerity reminded him of a time when he had cared about knowledge for its own sake. So he went and volunteered with one of the local agrec laboratories, and the work was so boring that he almost quit the first day.

On the second day he met a courier whom everyone called Pax. The man was odd, fast, and curious about everything, so Ty ended up explaining the "project" he'd been assigned and adding as an aside that it would be irrelevant before he'd even finished it. Pax hopped up on a one of the bench stools and asked why. Assuming he wouldn't understand, Ty gave him the easy version and hoped no one heard that their Ranger volunteer was already complaining about the system.

Pax just nodded sympathetically. Then he told Ty that he should be designing projects instead of carrying them out, tossed a contact card for the district development board on the bench, and skated away. Ty briefly entertained the idea that Pax knew someone on the board, but decided it was more likely that the courier just passed out cards to anyone who had suggestions or complaints. He wasn't prepared to contact the board office and see Pax on the message recording that told him to leave his name, issue, and comm code for future callback.

So Ty took over Keyota agrec, and he found himself sitting on the development board by day five. It might even have been the day of his first board meeting. Or the day he told Andros that development was becoming more important than defense, and Andros agreed. It might have been the day he went out for groceries and spent more time talking to people he met about the district than he did actually shopping, and it suddenly occurred to him that he was part of the community again.

He wasn't sure when he realized it. Looking back, maybe it hadn't been a day at all. Maybe it had been the night he was lying in his bed, staring out the balcony door while Zhane dozed beside him, and he found himself thinking about someone else. Maybe it wasn't any of those days, or maybe it was all of them, and that night was just the moment he finally acknowledged it to himself.

Ty wasn't sure when he'd realized it, but it was time for him to go.

Zhane was uncannily perceptive about it, too. As though Ty's silent epiphany had been a statement made aloud, Zhane muttered something, shifted a little, and turned sleepy blue eyes on his bedmate. "Hmm?"

Ty smiled. "Nothing," he said softly. "Just thinking."

"Can't sleep?" Zhane mumbled, sliding an arm under his pillow to prop his head up a little higher. He did a fairly convincing study of Ty's face, even blinking and only half-awake as he was.

"Not tired," Ty assured him. "Really, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"Mmm." Zhane rolled over on his side, facing Ty, and folded his pillow over to give him extra height. "No. What're you thinking about?"

"Would you be offended," Ty murmured, teasing only because he already knew the answer was no, "if I said, one of the guys I work with?"

"Yeah?" Zhane looked very awake now. "Which one?"

Ty put his hands behind his head and shared his amused look with the ceiling. "Did you really wake up just so you could ask me about my latest fantasy?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Zhane said lightly.

"You must be psychic," Ty agreed, still pondering the shadows on the ceiling. How much did Zhane really want to hear right now? How much did he want to say in the middle of the night, when he might wake up tomorrow morning and laugh at his own whimsy?

"Don't have to be," Zhane's voice said, very close to his ear, "to know you've been thinking about moving out."

Ty turned his head abruptly and caught Zhane smirking at him before he blurted out, "What makes you think that?"

"Mmm." Zhane looked at him for a moment, then sighed, rolling over onto his back again. "I don't feel like being clever right now. Sorry."

Ty chased him just far enough to kiss his ear before relaxing back onto his side of the bed. Silent apology for his defensiveness, for giving Zhane a hard time just because it was hard for him. "You're right," he murmured. "You guys are my team, but you're not my family. I'm still looking for something you've already found."

"No," Zhane said softly. "You're looking again." Oddly, he added, "Congratulations."

Ty swallowed. "What if I only get one chance?" he whispered, able to give voice to it in the dark of night if nowhere else. "What if Ryse was it?"

"You get whatever you accept." Zhane's voice was quiet but utterly certain in the starlit room. "If you only take one chance, you'll only get one chance."

Ty stared out at the faint outlines of the balcony through the glass door. He had found Zhane, hadn't he? Or Zhane had found him. The Rangers had taken him in at a time when he was looking for someone to tell him who he was.

Now maybe he was starting to remember for himself.

Family support didn't come the day after they moved in. Ashley and Kerone were notified that there weren't enough vaccinated counselors to spare for residential rounds and their assessment had been postponed indefinitely. Abersiia had hit the youth and immigrant populations hard. It could take weeks for the support services to catch up.

It wasn't entirely a bad thing, Ashley decided, when the first full day in their new house turned into downtime that no one dared to schedule over. They got some time to themselves, finally, since Carlos and Gabe had left the night before and Kristet didn't come by to check in with them until that evening. Even the neighbors stopped leaving food outside their door, making Andros less twitchy and everyone else calmer by association.

Ashley spent most of the morning wandering around in her old Astro sweats. Ty made her toast, which she really could have done herself, so she made him tea and they called it even. She never did end up working out, but after she left the bedroom she was sharing with the boys she didn't dare go back in to change. When Karen finally got up just before lunchtime she borrowed some clothes so the two of them could go explore the "campground" together.

Karen didn't bat an eye at her odd request, but Ashley learned to split her clothes between the shared bedroom and her own private space. She also remembered to take anything she might need for the morning with her when she got up. The practical issues were solvable, but she didn't like the uncertainty, so she steeled herself to bring it up with Andros and Zhane.

To her surprise, Andros came up with an easy fix. Their room had two doors, after all. They just got in the habit of leaving the inner door open all the time--unless there was something happening that one of them, for whatever reason, wouldn't want to walk in on. Well, something that she wouldn't want to walk in on, or that Andros didn't want one of them walking in on. Zhane was annoyingly unconcerned about the whole thing.

The sharing took some getting used to, but in the end she decided that it actually solved more problems than it caused. Because now she didn't wonder where they were or what they were doing without her, and she didn't feel like she was taking Andros away from Zhane when they spent time together. It was Zhane's room too, and he could come and go whenever he wanted.

After the first night she and Zhane tried to watch a movie together and the entire team ended up in their bedroom, though, they did learn to be careful about how much time they spent in there. It was easy to forget that, while a couple might be just two people, three people constituted more than half the team. And when more than half the team spent the evening in any given place, the rest of the team naturally gravitated to them.

Karen seemed to find the situation entertaining but only rarely worthy of comment. She did watch the video that Ashley made for her parents on the first day, and afterwards she wanted to know who on Earth was supposed to know what. If she saw the Hammonds, should she avoid mentioning Zhane? What about teammates, former or otherwise, and assorted friends who might ask about Ashley?

Anyone who already knew, Ashley decided, was entitled to casual updates. Anyone who didn't know probably didn't need to know, and that included her parents. For now. Possibly for a long time.

Kristet only asked what they wanted on the news. They let her make her own video of the house and put it in the public domain. They let her announce Kae's adoption as long as he wasn't actually seen anywhere. And they took her advice when she said they should host a block party for their neighbors--an event that was not recorded or broadcast, but still seemed to attract more people than could possibly live in such a rural area.

Their media liaison wasn't oblivious, of course. Andros gave her the room between the kitchen and skyport to use as her office, and she spent a good deal of time at the house. But she had one thing that they didn't have when people pressed her for answers about the Kerovan Rangers' private lives: plausible deniability. Instead of saying, "I don't want to talk about it," she could reply, "I don't have any information on that," and it turned out that there were very few questions that couldn't be answered with that sentence.

It didn't keep people from asking. It did keep Andros from snapping at them, though, and that was important.

The rest of the summer was surprisingly busy for a time that didn't involve any significant attacks by the forces of evil, dimensional incursions, or internal sabotage. Ashley didn't think about how much time was passing until Karen commented one day that she had to be back at school inside of a week and she wanted to visit with Cassie before she left. Only then did it occur to Ashley that--dimensional transits aside--she hadn't been out of the Kerovan system since Karen arrived, and her parents were probably wondering if she remembered where they lived.

So she took some time off to tag along with Karen on her roundabout journey home. They stopped off at Eltare, where two of the former Psycho Rangers met them on the surface and showed them around the capitol city. They also did a brief stint on Aquitar, spending the day at or below sea level while Carlos entertained them before following them back to Earth.

Before they left the Border, though, they stopped in to see Cassie and the twins. The girls were six months old now, and nowhere on their trip did Ashley feel the time that had passed as acutely as she did in the Ranger compound on Elisia. The place that Cassie and Saryn shared with their daughters was bursting at the seams with baby gear: clothes and food and toys and the screened-off space that passed for the twins' room.

"We weren't really thinking," Cassie said, once they had retreated to the community center where there was at least room to sit down. "Raine and Azmuth make do in the compound with Shei, but of course they have an entire building to themselves. We share ours with Mirine."

Ashley tried to picture that, but the family of four was basically living in a one-bedroom apartment. "Even twice the space you have now doesn't really seem like enough," she said at last.

"We'll have to move eventually," Cassie admitted with a sigh. "But it's complicated, with Saryn still being a Ranger. And it's not like we have any free time to figure it out."

"Hey, Zhane's pretty good at picking places to live," Karen remarked. She helped herself to more of whatever Cassie had pulled out for them to snack on--sweet puffs? Ashley thought the name sounded vaguely familiar. "You should ask him for help."

Cassie laughed. "Yeah, I heard about that! Your mom sent me the video. How do you keep from getting lost in a place that big?"

"Bread crumbs," Karen answered cheerfully.

"You should come visit sometime," Ashley added, trying not to feel guilty. Not only did she live in a mansion, but her only child was well past toddler stage and the parent-to-child ratio was seriously skewed in their favor. And on top of that, had she really forgotten to send Cassie pictures?

"Maybe when the twins are a little older," Cassie was saying. "Right now, just sleeping through the night is as much of a vacation as I can ask for."

"Is there anything you want from Earth?" Ashley asked quickly. "Let me run some errands for you, at least. Is there food I can pick up for you? Ice cream? Baby toys?"

Cassie brightened. "Oh, I could make you a list! Really! How long are you going to be there?"

"Long enough to find anything you want," Ashley promised, smiling to herself. She would be, too. She'd get her mom to help if she had to--in fact, she might not be able to keep her away--and they could take advantage of the self-policing Ranger cargo rules. "Make me a list sometime before we leave, and you'll have it in a few days."

"That would be great," Cassie said, so sincerely that it made Ashley wish she'd offered before.

They sat in the community center talking for quite a while after that, but it wasn't until Saryn came back from wherever he'd been with the twins that Ashley began to understand what the two of them were really dealing with. At no point during their stay did she ever see both of them asleep at the same time. The girls were completely out of sync with each other, awake or asleep in opposite intervals, one calm while the other screamed, one bored while the other was hungry, never interested in the same thing at the same time.

"Are you sure they're related?" Karen asked at one point.

"I assure you," Saryn told her, "that is only one of many possible explanations we've considered."

Even seeing them didn't prepare Ashley for Cassie's warning when she bent over the nearest twin, though. "Hi," she told the baby girl, touching her fingers gently. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm Ashley. You're much bigger than you were the last time I saw you."

"That's Jenni," Cassie said, picking up a protesting Terra and trying to soothe her while Karen made silly faces in her general direction. "She can't hear you, but she likes to play with noses. Be careful if you get too close."

Ashley blinked, glancing over at her. "She can't hear me?"

"Jenni's deaf." Cassie was so matter-of-fact that Ashley guessed she was supposed to have already known this. "She can hear some loud, low sounds, but that's about it. Nothing close to speech."

"When did you find this out?" Ashley wanted to know.

"A couple of months ago." Cassie was giving her the surprised look right back. "I know we told you. We must have. We sent out an update with the baby pictures right after they got tested. Didn't you get it?"

"I remember the pictures," Saryn mused, when she looked to him for confirmation. "I'm afraid I don't recall to whom they were sent."

"If we got them, DECA would have them," Ashley declared. "I can't believe I missed this! Is Terra all right? Is there anything we can do?"

"They're both all right," Cassie pointed out. "Jenni just can't hear. And no, I think we're doing everything we can. But thanks."

"There must be something," Ashley insisted. "I mean, we get patched up every time we come back from a fight. Doesn't the Elisian Power come with healing ability? Can't you..."

No, obviously they couldn't, or they would have. She corrected her question mid-sentence. "Why can't you--"

"We did," Cassie said quietly. "Someone--one of the Elisian Rangers--kept her alive the day she was born with that healing power. This is her 'healed'. If she can't hear, well, I think we both feel that's a pretty small price to pay."

Ashley swallowed the rest of her protests when she saw the dangerous glint in Saryn's eyes. Right. Like they hadn't done everything they could think of already. They didn't need her advice on a situation she wouldn't have even known about if she hadn't spontaneously shown up on their doorstep.

She was suddenly very glad she had decided to come with Karen.

Andros was good at starting over. He didn't like it, but he'd had a lot of practice, and he knew how to build something from the foundation up. He just didn't approve of tearing things down to do it. Enough alliances failed all on their own that he didn't want to be the cause of yet another disbanding.

So he tried to dissuade Mirine from using the threat of secession to get anything changed within the Frontier Defense. The Border treaties had a solid history, even in the face of seemingly impossible odds, and he would rather not rewrite them. Especially when KO-35 was only nominally a Border world, and its inclusion over the distance between them did, after all, put a significant strain on Defense resources.

Mirine didn't listen. She wasn't her brother, and she made sure everyone knew it. He didn't recognize the strategy until after her vocal complaints and accusations had shaken up the Defense to such a degree that they seemed relieved to deal with someone as relatively reasonable as Andros. Ashley called it "good cop, bad cop."

When Astronema's message came from JT's dimension, Andros didn't share it with anyone outside the Rangers. But he did tell Marsie that he had intelligence suggesting quantrons were a diminished offensive force, and she agreed to send scouts to confirm it. He could take her reports to the rest of the Border governments. They were understandably less reluctant to commit to Kerovan space after that, and he didn't hold it against them.

Kerovan fighters joined the Border patrol, the Frontier Defense established a permanent presence on RS-42, and Zhane became their interplanetary liaison. It was an unexpectedly satisfying solution to a situation that had been unresolved since they returned to KO-35. And it gave Zhane a vastly expanded network of people to associate with, which kept him from obsessing over everything that happened at Wayward.

He kept them together, there was no question about that. But Andros was the first to say he didn't like being analyzed every time he turned around, and the fewer people Zhane was around on a regular basis, the more concentrated his efforts at interpersonal mediation became. He knew it drove Andros crazy as much as it saved him, but it wasn't something Zhane could turn off, any more than Andros could stop being who he was. They knew how to work with each other, though, and Ashley stayed out of it for a long time.

Until the day she asked Andros to drop off something at the local haven. He set off three alarms just by walking through the door, although they were so subtle that he didn't identify any of them as "alarms" the first time it happened. The lights flickered, just once, and he did think it was odd that the power would falter--at all, much less at that moment. There was also an unobtrusive pinging sound, which he dismissed as a door chime, and some sort of herbal scent that he didn't connect with his presence until days later.

It turned out the building had a telepathic net to boost the meditative awareness of its visitors. The net became quiescent in the presence of actual telepaths, and the alarms warned visitors of the deactivation. Andros told the haven mediator it must be mistaken, and he was assured in turn that the net's detection system did occasionally malfunction.

Only later did he find out that this response didn't actually fall into the category of "believing him," but was in fact a gesture of respect for his supposed wish to remain anonymous.

When he confronted Ashley about it the following evening, she gave him a particularly innocent look and apologized for forgetting about the net. She had only been to the haven a couple of times, she reminded him, mostly while trying to track down people who had once been associated with Wayward, and she had only heard about it in passing. Besides, whatever she'd given him to take over had been important.

He didn't appreciate being manipulated, and he told her so.

She told him that he let Zhane do it to him all the time. That was why she had wanted him to go in the first place, she added, abandoning all pretense of it being an accident. Because Zhane had someplace else to mediate now, which kept him from driving Andros crazy, and Andros needed someplace else to brood, to keep him from driving her crazy.

He objected to the use of the word "brood." He stopped by the haven again anyway, since it was important to Ashley, and he did agree that it wasn't a total waste of time. Not only did the other visitors treat him with nothing but the same quiet respect they gave each other, but the building itself had several moderately appealing characteristics.

For one thing, no one could contact him there. The spiritual retreat was completely cut off from the rest of the planet, save for an automated emergency system, and he was unreachable and mostly untraceable while he was there. Second, the place came with an assumption of solitude that meant no one who was there would bother him either. And finally, he found that he could turn the telepathic net back on with his mind, and that was just fun.

It was after his third visit that Kristet caught up with him. Andros had taken a moment to grab an apple from the kitchen when she poked her head out of her office and asked if he had time to talk. In his experience, that was rarely a good sign.

He waved for her to come over anyway. Avoiding Kristet's questions never made them go away. And he knew. He'd tried.

"I've gotten the telepath question four times in the last three days," she said.

Andros stopped. Then he reached for a second glass. "Something to drink?"

"Water," she said, pulling a stool out from the counter. "Thanks."

He poured a couple of glasses of water and passed her one as he sat down across from her. "Why?" he wanted to know.

"Probably the haven." Kristet clasped her hands around her glass loosely. "Someone there said something, or one of the others mentioned that you'd been going."

"That doesn't make me a telepath," Andros said sharply.

"It doesn't have to make you a telepath," Kristet told him. "It just has to make people ask."

Andros took a bite out of his apple, trying not to be irritated. "My religious preferences are none of their business," he muttered.

"I want to come back to the comment about religious preferences," she said. "But right now, the point is that it actually is their business. At least by law. They aren't allowed to interfere with your off-duty life, and in return they get whatever information they want. Answering their questions keeps people from spying on you."

"In theory," he retorted. "What do you call this--" He gestured with his apple. "Knowing I've been going to the haven?"

"Does anyone talk business with you while you're there?" Kristet asked. "Does anyone follow you? Take pictures? Get in your way?"

He crunched loudly on another bite of apple.

"You don't have to answer," Kristet reminded him. "But they don't have to stop asking, either. I'll keep on telling them I don't know for as long as you want, but eventually someone will catch you while you're on-duty and you'll have to say something."

Andros kept eating, silently considering the issue. The media would get hold of the question whether they had an answer or not. Speculation would make the questions that finally got back to him more and more ridiculous, until he wondered why he hadn't just said "yes" the first time and let their curiosity die.

Kristet didn't get up. She just sat there, sipping her water and waiting to see if he would say anything. She wouldn't hound him if he didn't, he knew. At least, not intentionally. She'd probably forget when they'd had this conversation by tomorrow, and they'd just have it again.

"I've been a telepath all my life," Andros said abruptly. "It doesn't have anything to do with the haven."

Kristet didn't look surprised. "Do you want people to know that?"

"Yes," he said with a sigh. "Go ahead. And yes, the thing with Zhane isn't selective," he added, anticipating her next question.

She smiled a little. "I've gotten that one too," she admitted.

He didn't know why he bothered pretending to have a private life. "What about Ashley?"

"They leave her out of it," Kristet said, studying him. "Why?"

"Not on the record," he warned her.

She shook her head. "I don't have my public camera running right now. You'll have to tell me what I can say again after I turn it on."

She didn't run her public camera in the house at all, unless it was to record a statement like the one he'd just made. He couldn't always tell when she turned it on or off. And keeping Ashley out of the telepathy question seemed worth the reminder.

"Ashley and Zhane are selectively telepathic," Andros told his apple. Taking another bite, he glanced at Kristet to monitor her reaction.

Kristet blinked. "They can read each other?"

"Most of the time," Andros said carefully. Studying her more openly, he added, "You don't seem very surprised."

Kristet actually laughed. "I practically live here," she said. "Sometimes I think I'm the only reason you talk out loud at all."

"Ty," he reminded her, disconcerted by the idea that she might have realized a long time ago.

"And Kae," she pointed out. "It was just a joke."

He munched on his apple thoughtfully. He supposed telepathy was more useful than speech, if it came right down to it, but he'd never considered it more than a supplementary kind of communication before. Maybe Kristet wasn't the only one who felt otherwise.

"You should ask Ashley," he said at last. "Whether she minds you saying anything about her. If they're asking about Zhane, they're going to ask about her."

Kristet gave him a curious look. "You just said you wanted me to keep her out of it."

He shrugged uncomfortably. "It should be up to her," he muttered.

Ashley didn't say anything to him later, but she must have told Kristet it was fine. She and Zhane were on the newsnets for a week afterward. The number of questions about them rivaled the questions about his haven visits, and finally the team gave K-Wind a telepathy-oriented interview just to shut them all up.

Kristet switched from "I don't have any information on that," to "The Rangers have already answered that," and the new approach was surprisingly effective.

She didn't have a lot of parenting experience to draw on, either first or secondhand, and to be honest her teammates weren't that much help. There was one thing that reassured Kerone more than anything else, though: her original role model. Ecliptor hadn't known what he was doing either, and she'd turned out all right.

DECA didn't hold back on advice, either. The Megaship's AI--rapidly becoming their house AI--had the most accessible and practical parenting experience of anyone she knew. The family support counselors were patient but specialized, and the support group they sent her to for adoptive parents was calming but otherwise unhelpful.

DECA, on the other hand, had not only raised orphans herself but also had vast amounts of academic knowledge that she could tailor for practical application with a minimum of experiential input. She had the added advantage of being the only person Kae obeyed unconditionally, at least at first. He quickly learned that she wasn't going to punish him the way he was used to being punished if he didn't do what she wanted.

Better than slavers, Kerone reminded herself whenever she wondered what she was doing wrong. His daytime behavior got worse even as his nightmares started to decrease in frequency, but DECA assured her that it was normal for children recovering from trauma to both retreat and rage. And the one thing she got out of her support group was that everyone worried that they weren't doing a good enough job, so she decided a certain amount of guilt was normal and tried to ignore it.

Family support gave her certain guidelines, mostly about school and socialization once their counseling requirements began to drop off. DECA advised her about rules, discipline, and the appropriate application of skills Kae had learned from his captors. Ashley offered her own childhood for comparison, and made sure the rest of the team knew what was going on so they didn't contradict each other every time they turned around.

Ashley also stayed close enough to the situation that she could give Kerone days off before school started. After the fall session began, they found that it was easier to switch off without planning for it ahead of time. One or the other of them would drop Kae off and pick him up, and then depending on what he had to do on any given afternoon, someone would either shadow him until dinner or allow him to entertain himself under DECA's supervision.

Dinner had become a team affair in a way that it never had been at the hangar: there, they'd had to make plans if they wanted to see each other for the evening meal, but now, they had to make plans not to. Otherwise everyone ate at basically the same time, either in the kitchen or on the deck, and Kae would be included in at least one person's plan for the evening. It was usually hers or Ashley's at first, but as his triggers decreased and his behavior slowly stabilized, the others would offer to help him with his homework or even take him places from time to time.

It wasn't easy, but it wasn't staying alive on the Dark Fortress, either. She didn't cry in front of anyone except Ashley--well, and Saryn, once--but she couldn't understand why taking care of one small child could upset her so much. She had done worse, and better, on a much larger scale before. And they'd both dealt with so much more; there shouldn't be anything about their lives now that could even compare.

At first, she decided that maybe she cried for him. Despite the clearly superior life he was leading now, he was still a former prisoner of war recovering in a world that he had no reason to understand. The counselors from family support assured her that she wasn't the only one grieving for what her child had been through. The important thing, they told her, was not to let him know that she felt sorry for him, because he had every chance in the world now and he shouldn't think there was any reason he couldn't have it.

When she finally let DECA talk to her about it, though, the AI suggested that maybe she was crying tears she had never cried for herself. Kae's story was traumatic, certainly. Was hers any less so? Kidnapped from her home, raised by a machine, taught that to hate and to kill was the only way to survive?

If she didn't accept her own past, DECA observed, she might teach Kae to suppress his own. That nothing he had been through mattered, and he should just be grateful for what he had. Solution-based therapy focused only on where a person was going, she said, not on where they'd been. It helped a lot of people, but it didn't make them whole on its own.

Am I a whole person, Kerone had wanted to know?

DECA's hologram had smiled at her. Only you can answer that, the AI had told her.

She told Kae who she had been. She made it very simple. She had been kidnapped from her home when she was very young, sold just like he had been, and raised by someone who was at least less evil than the people around him. She told him that she had done some terrible things because she didn't know any better.

Kae didn't seem to care very much.

He hears everything you say, DECA told her. Don't assume he doesn't understand.

At the end of the fall session, family support held a children's carnival for those orphaned or otherwise affected by war. Kae wanted to go. His friend was going, he said. And they had a giant sky ride. Still she hesitated.

Don't assume he doesn't understand, DECA reminded her. He's modeling his behavior on you. He looks to you to see what's normal and what isn't.

Kerone decided to go with him.

That night, Zhane helped her put Kae to bed. That he wanted to talk was obvious. That he knew Kae would listen at his door if they did it in her room was equally clear. Kerone decided he was too used to Andros' reticence if he thought this was a problem.

*Do you like our toy pit?* she inquired silently, as she closed Kae's door behind her.

Zhane was standing on the path that angled through the room like a dock, and he gave the ball-filled pits on either side an amused glance. *Let's just say I know why the kids at the Center wanted you to adopt them too.*

*It's a training exercise,* Kerone informed him, coming over to stand by his side. *He needs to learn how to move in zero-g, and he doesn't like water, so this is the next best thing. It teaches him to overcome his reflexes when it comes to falling before he's actually put in that environment.*

*Yeah,* Zhane said with a grin. *Right.*

She let her smile break through. *He saw it at the carnival and loved it.*

*Who needs a carnival when you've got a sorceress for a mom?* Zhane asked rhetorically.

*A child with a stunted imagination when it comes to play,* Kerone answered anyway. *The carnival was very inspiring.*

*Any kid who can go to a busy outdoor carnival the same year he was rescued from slavers, agoraphobic and scared of human contact, is inspiring all by himself.* Zhane was still smiling at her, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he added, *So is the woman who rescued him.*

She returned his half-hug, leaning her head on his shoulder for a long moment. Finally she asked, *Did you want to talk about something?*

*Got a busy night ahead of you?* he teased.

*I have a carnival in my room,* she returned. *Of course I'm going to have a busy night.*

*Can we play in it?* Zhane wanted to know.

She stifled a giggle. *Sure. As long as it's not when Kae's supposed to be sleeping. He'll just want to get up and jump in with you.*

*Can't you...* Zhane waved at the door. *Magically soundproof his room or something?*

*Yes,* she said, rolling her eyes. *If I didn't want to be able to hear him if he screams.*

*Ah.* Zhane looked chagrinned. *Good point.*

*I'll make you one somewhere else if you want,* Kerone promised, pulling out of his embrace to sit down on the edge of the path. This little piece of floor was all that was left now, but she would restore it when Kae got bored with the toy pit. *After you tell me what you're thinking about.*

*Family,* he said. He sat down next to her, letting his legs hang over the edge of the floor and taking care to shift the colored balls out of the way in a manner that made as little noise as possible. *Our family, specifically.*

*It's a good one,* she remarked. She was sitting cross-legged, but if she leaned forward she could reach the hollow plastic balls and toss one at him. Something to keep in mind if he started being odd.

*Yeah,* he agreed slowly. *I think... it's probably going to change, though.*

*As families do.* He meant something in particular, she was sure. Hopefully he wasn't going to make her guess just for the fun of it.

His legs moved a little, maybe poking at the plastic spheres with his feet. *It's Ty,* he said at last. *I think he's going to leave.*

She thought about that. *Okay,* she decided. *I guess we sort of knew that. I mean, that he would go at some point. Right?*

*I guess.* Zhane was frowning. *Do we know that about any of the rest of us?*

Kerone blinked. *Why would any of us leave?*

Zhane opened his mouth as though he was going to say something aloud, then changed his mind. *I don't know,* he said. But then he added, *You and Ash were going to leave, when you adopted Kae.*

*No,* she countered. *We were going to change the place where we lived. We weren't leaving you.*

Zhane didn't seem entirely convinced by this distinction. And, okay, she'd been ready to leave, for Kae's sake. But she hadn't needed to, and the way things turned out had to be at least as important as the way they could have turned out.

*What about getting married?* Zhane asked at last.

That took her by surprise. *What? Who?*

*Me and you, Andros and Ash,* Zhane answered. *Who else?*

*No,* she said. *No, I think that's a bad idea.*

Zhane knew exactly when he'd realized it, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to convince the others without drastic intervention. He'd known it the second Andros agreed to move into a house with them, even if only in the abstract. He'd seen it suddenly sneaking up on him when he found out Andros had started going to the haven on a regular basis.

The day Andros made a wistful remark about only children, Zhane had realized that the moment he knew was coming had to be right around the corner. They wouldn't be Rangers forever, and there would come a time when their insistence that they could speak for each other wouldn't be enough. They needed official family group status, or the government was going to make parenting a nightmare.

Unfortunately, there were problems. One of them was Ty, whom he knew would never stay with the rest of them, but might leave now or years from now. They couldn't ask him to be part of the group, but they couldn't not ask him, either. Not if he was still living with them.

Andros was another problem. He was oddly resistant to change, and maybe understandably resistant to public participation in his life. He would be hard to convince. And on top of that, Ashley was clearly not familiar with the idea of having multiple married partners, and until she was comfortable with it, Andros wouldn't consider it.

Kerone was the person he decided to talk to first.

*Why is it a bad idea?* Zhane wanted to know. He hadn't expected her reaction, but his amusement over her direct response helped alleviate his disappointment.

*Because Ashley and I are Kae's parents,* Kerone told him. *At least legally. If we marry other people, there will be all sorts of problems with the right-to-represent laws.*

Oh. Zhane brightened. She didn't actually understand what he was suggesting, then. That cast an entirely different light on her refusal, and he got his thoughts in order to agree that what she thought he meant was a terrible idea.

*Not to mention,* she continued, *I don't think you could watch Andros marry someone else. Even Ashley.*

*I'm thinking of something totally different,* he said quickly. *I don't think we should be two married couples. I think we should all marry each other.*

He'd caught her off guard. She stared at him for a long moment. Finally, though, she seemed to find something in her memory that helped. *You mean... is that like some kind of family group?

*Yeah, a family group. It would give us all right-to-represent for Kae,* he offered, *and it would mean that we could give each other right-to-represent in medical or contract situations.*

Kerone was shaking her head. *No, we can't,* she said. *It won't work. Me and Andros are related.*

He glanced sideways at her. Okay, legally, if not so much biologically anymore. *So?* he prompted.

*So we can't get married,* she said, smiling as though he was being deliberately goofy.

He wagged a finger at her for doubting. Like he would have missed something so obvious. *That's where you're wrong,* he informed her. *Siblings can't start a family group. But they can marry into it.*

She gave him an odd look, but she didn't say anything for a long moment.

*What?* he finally asked.

*How long have you been planning this?* she wanted to know.

*I'm not planning it now,* he said defensively. *I'm just asking you what you think about it.*

She considered that, and he found himself genuinely uncertain about her answer. It was very clear to him that this would solve a lot of problems. It was also obvious that he was the only one who'd been thinking about it in quite that way.

*I think I'm not the one who needs to be convinced,* Kerone decided at last. *I'll find out what Ashley thinks if you'll work on Andros.*

Relieved, he broke into a grin, and for some reason that made her lean down and grab a plastic ball to chuck at him. *Hey!*

*Did you think I'd say no?* she demanded. *Just because I didn't think of it doesn't mean I don't know a good idea when I hear it.*

*Hey,* he repeated, tossing a ball back at her. *I'm just glad to have a co-conspirator. Okay?*

And he was. But Andros and Ash were closed in their room for the night, so further conspiring was inevitably postponed. Kerone kept her word about the toy pit, and Zhane went to find Ty while she turned the game room into a giant pool of colored balls. It would be handy to be married to a sorceress, Zhane decided.

Ty didn't even bother being surprised. The three of them fooled around down there for the rest of the evening, with Kerone showing off for an only occasionally impressed audience. Then DECA appeared with a message from Elisia, and Kerone wandered off to talk to Kyril--but she made them a kiddie slide before she left, warning them to keep it down.

He and Ty grinned at each other. Without Kerone around, the ensuing ball war was uncontained, and they made no effort to clean up afterward. They did manage to keep from waking Kae, though, and that was probably the only thing they had to do to avert Kerone's wrath. Well, that and letting her prove that her moderate levitation abilities were more than a match for their telekinesis, which she had already done several times that night.

When Ty invited him upstairs, Zhane didn't have to think about it. Family group or no family group, he loved Ty, and he was desperately trying not to miss him before he was gone. Easy to say, hard to do. Especially when the Black Ranger was lying upside down on Kerone's kiddie slide and pretending to sleep while he deflected plastic balls without moving.

Even more especially when he was lying on pale green sheets, red-brown hair a silky shadow around his head, with the meager starlight from the balcony glinting in his gold eyes. Zhane could almost sense his restlessness. Overtired, maybe. But Zhane dozed off and Ty didn't, and it was enough to wake him up again.

"Nothing," Ty whispered, when he mumbled an inquiry. "Just thinking."

Zhane propped his head up, studied Ty, and he knew. He almost rolled over and tried to take Ty's word for it, because maybe Andros wasn't the only one who didn't like things changing on him. But he didn't.

"Can't sleep?" he asked instead.

"Not tired." Ty was smiling at him, and he wished he could keep that expression, this moment, forever. "Really, I'm fine," Ty added softly. "Go back to sleep."

"No," he murmured, turning so he could drink in Ty's shape in the darkness. Ty had been there for him when he was trying to figure out his own life, and he would never forget that. "Tell me what you're thinking."

19. Last Night on Eltare

"Are you going to be all right?"

Saryn looked up when Linnse put a hand on his shoulder. She glanced at the picture he had set out on the desk beside him and smiled slightly, but said nothing while she waited for his answer. She knew perfectly well who those tiny children were.

"I will be well," he said, "assuming that I never awaken from this dream of victory."

Her smiled widened, and she leaned back against the desk. For a moment he thought she might actually sit on the corner, as Cassandra would have, but she just folded her arms and shook her head. "No one's going to wake up," she told him. "Being here should be enough to remind anyone."

"That this dream came too late for so many?" Saryn sighed, glancing Linnse's office in the medical wing. "I assure you, I need no reminder."

Her tone softened. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Go," he told her, just as gently. "You deserve to be a part of this celebration."

"I hope you're not implying that you don't," Linnse said, straightening. He had volunteered to take her shift that night so she could join the revelry outside. It was too much for him, and if it came down to a choice of hiding places, he might as well pick one where he could do some good.

"I would be foolish to say such a thing where the head of the medical facility could overhear me," he pointed out. He smiled at the way her eyes narrowed, and he added, "It is no punishment for me to be here, Linnse. Truly, I consider it more of a reward than anything else."

She patted his shoulder again before stepping around the desk. "I'll make one last round before I head out," she told him. "If you need anything, call me, all right?"

He nodded once, but even as he opened his mouth to reply he felt the constant presence in his mind strengthening with sudden proximity. He looked toward the door automatically, and Linnse frowned. She followed his gaze, but of course there was no one there. Yet.

"I will do so," he assured her. Perhaps she would leave before Cassandra arrived. She wouldn't finish her tour of the wing, but they might have a few moments of privacy.

Unfortunately, Linnse's sharp gaze missed nothing. "Cassandra's coming, isn't she."

Saryn leaned back in his chair, regarding her with exasperated amusement. "You may excuse yourself at any time," he informed her.

She smiled. "I think I'll make my tour a little more thorough," she mused. "So that when she convinces you to join in the celebration, you'll still have someone here to turn the office over to."

"It is not so much that I plan to leave," he remarked, "as it is that I plan for her to stay. Making your continued presence somewhat... superfluous."

"Ever polite," Linnse teased. "You forget, though. I've met Cassandra. She isn't going to stay here."

"We'll see." He reached out to move the picture he had left on the desk, laying it flat instead of leaving it propped up. Now it could be more easily seen from the other side of the room, and Linnse laughed at him.

"Suck up," she said, but her tone was approving. "At least you're right about that. Appealing to her maternal instincts will definitely give you an edge."

Saryn eyed her. "Surely you have somewhere else to be."

Cassandra was getting out of the lift now, and he knew it was too late. Linnse was about to have more information about his love life than he would have chosen to reveal, were it up to him alone. But then, when hadn't that been true?

"Fine," Linnse was saying. "I know when I'm in the way." She seemed to be laboring under the misapprehension that he had forgotten every interaction they'd ever had.

He didn't have time to reply, though, because Cassandra knew exactly where he was and the open door did nothing to slow her down. She breezed into the office with a carefree confidence that probably said more about her mood than any certainties she might have about who he was with. At least she held herself to the far side of the desk, which was more than he'd expected.

"Ready?" she declared, as though it was a foregone conclusion. She put both hands on the desk and flashed a blinding smile at him as she leaned forward. "Time to go!"

He heard Linnse stifle a laugh as he mirrored her position from his side of the desk. "I think not," he told her. "I'm quite content here." Moreso now that she was here, but she already knew that.

"Don't be silly," she admonished. "There aren't any babies here! Let's go get them!"

He wondered if the stunned look on his face was even close to the shock he was feeling. "Excuse me?"

"Carynn and Fletcher!" she exclaimed, hopping up on the other side of the desk and grabbing the picture he had left there. She showed it to him as though he might have forgotten. "They're being released back into my custody! I want you to come with me when I pick them up!"

He stared at her, beginning to make sense of the elation coming off of her in waves. "You're drunk," he said, inexplicably surprised by the revelation.

"Well, yeah!" Cassandra seemed to find the observation amusing. "What's that got to do with it?"

"Maybe you should pick them up tomorrow," he suggested, as casually as possible. Telling her to do something would invariably make her do the opposite, after all. "Surely they will be easier to deal with after a regular night's sleep, rather than just before it."

"Can't," she said, setting the picture down and leaning in for a quick kiss. He met her eagerly as soon as he realized her intent, but she drew back after just a brush of her lips against his and her words sent a chill down her spine. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Excuse me?" he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Going home!" She tugged at the front of her t-shirt to emphasize the glittering letters there: the word "Earth" sparkled across her chest and did interesting things to her figure when she distorted it with her tugging. "Hello, where have you been! We've all been cleared to stand down and bust out! Kerova, Calijyt, Sol, Elisia; Eltare's the only team staying behind, and that's like, obviously!"

They had been cleared, yes, and he knew the Calijyt Rangers were scheduled to depart next rotation. The last he'd heard, though, the Astro Rangers hadn't announced any such plans, and it wasn't as though he and Jenna had anywhere else to go. He understood that logically, tonight's festivities were as much a farewell party as they were a victory celebration. But he hadn't been prepared for what that actually meant.

"Come on!" She was off the desk and around it before he realized what she was doing, taking his hands and trying to forcibly haul him to his feet.

Saryn pulled her into his lap instead. In self-defense as much as anything else, he told himself. "You're not going anywhere like this," he told her. "Even I would not turn over children to you in this condition."

That was a lie, but the way she pouted at his reproach was worth it. She didn't take him seriously, and he wasn't sure he should be glad but he was. "Tell me what time you leave tomorrow," he continued, "and you may be sure that I will accompany you on your mission prior to that."

She poked him in the chest. "But when will you pack?"

He lifted his gaze to Linnse, who had drifted quietly toward the door, and her gaze was full of sympathy. Clearly, Cassandra's mind was too full of children to be bothered with details like the fate of his planet. He nodded when Linnse jerked her head toward the rest of the wing, and the former Eltaran Ranger disappeared on her promised round.

"Cassandra," he said gently. "I will not be leaving Eltare for some time."

"Why not?" She glared up at him with more force than the declaration deserved. "I thought you wanted to be free."

That was an odd rejoinder, but he let it go. "I have no home to return to," he said bluntly. "Surely you remember this."

"Surely I don't!" she countered indignantly. "You have a family and children and me, which are all sort of the same thing but that's my whole point! You said you wanted us!"

Saryn blinked. He wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but it sounded true. "I do," he said, confused. "Of course I... want you."

"Then why won't you come with us?" she demanded. "You have a home on Earth, at least as much as any of us still do, because we'll be there. Me and Carynn and Fletcher. And we want you, too."

He had no idea what to say to that. He was afraid that the most touching thing someone had ever said to him would turn out to be a drunken declaration that was forgotten by morning. If it was, though, he supposed he'd better enjoy it now.

"I would follow you anywhere I am welcome--" He swallowed, and it was more difficult than he'd expected to get the words out. "If you wish me with you... there is nothing I would like more."

She actually scoffed, apparently unaware of how emotional the thought was for him. "If I wish?" she repeated. "Did you know we have children together? Were you even there for that?"

She wasn't angry with him, he thought distantly. She sounded angry, but she didn't feel it. She was impatient and uninhibited, but not--

Cassandra slapped him. It was no easy task for a person sitting in another person's lap, but she managed. The shock of it almost made him laugh. Her voice only escalated as she continued, "I love you, you crazy man! Where have you been!"

Her ability to articulate diminished with alcohol, he decided, cupping her face to hold her still while he kissed her. Her energy, on the other hand, stayed perfectly steady at what was probably the highest possible level any Ranger under siege could maintain. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been even more intense before the shadow of war fell over them all.

"I love you too," Saryn whispered, burying his fingers in her hair. "Crazy woman that you are."

"You promise you'll come with me?" she murmured. She lifted her face for more kissing, and he was happy to oblige. To come with her: here, tomorrow, anywhere, it didn't matter.

"I'll come with you," he promised, moments later.

She jerked away, surprising him, but her brilliant smile caught him with its warmth. "Great! To the party with us!"

He stared at her. Then, as she tried to get up, he realized that she would be free momentarily and his advantage would be gone. "Give me your ID," he said firmly, holding her in place.

She stopped tugging long enough to squirm in a completely different way, and he was just as happy to wait. When she finally dug out her ID, he wondered if there was anything else he could ask her to get. But she turned it over with a happy smile, and he decided not to push it.

"Thank you." He pocketed the ID with one hand and released his grip on her with the other. "You may go anywhere in the building, but I don't want to hear tomorrow that you used your teleportal access to harass our children's foster parents."

"You won't," she said cheerfully. "Since you're coming with me!"

Cassandra seemed untroubled by the fact that he had just dictated the limits of her activities for the night. That was strange enough that he found himself almost ready to respond to her cajoling. Luckily, he remembered why that would be a very bad idea just before he got out of the chair.

"I'm not going out there," he told her. "You know what it will be like."

She did know, too. She had caught him in the midst of celebration before, only barely in control and occasionally unresponsive when his efforts to contain the emotion faltered. He didn't handle the calmest crowds well. If Cassandra was any indication, there were no calm individuals out there tonight, let alone calm crowds.

"I know you'll be happy," she said, pulling him to his feet. "You've taken everyone's worry and fear for years, Saryn. You deserve their happiness too."

"I am accustomed to their worry," he countered, still startled that she had gotten him on his feet. Rangers were always surprising him. Her more than most, he admitted, if only to himself. "I do not lose myself in it the way I will in this."

"I'll be with you." She linked her arm through his and pressed up against his side, and indeed, it was suddenly hard to imagine anything she couldn't protect him from. Even himself.

"Plus," Cassandra continued, "no one will mind you being happy, and the worst that happens is you project some of it back on them, right? Anyone who notices will thank you for it!"

"I can't," he said with a sigh. He wanted to, if only because she wanted him to, but he couldn't. There was a certain amount of responsibility associated with being an empath, after all.

"Saryn." She smiled up at him, a knowing smile that saw right through him and reminded him, for the first time in a long time, what it meant to be alive. "Tonight you can do anything."

If anyone could say that and make him believe it, it would be her.

Ashley made a mental note never to get stuck outside a quarantine again. At least, not one that she wanted to be inside of. Undercover operatives were allowed back in only with extensive testing and a vaccination that even Rangers had a hard time getting on short notice. Luckily--or not, depending on one's point of view--she'd spent a lot of time on the wrong side of the law in the past year, and she'd learned a few things.

Fresh out of decontamination, she was allowed direct teleportal access to Eltare, and she didn't regret the bribing she'd had to do to get it. In recognition of her suspended UC status, the capitol issued her a new Ranger ID on arrival. From there, it was only one more portal to Co-Op and a well-meaning if ultimately futile effort to locate and report to JT.

Co-Op was the center of chaos that might once have been an organized celebration. Or it might not. By the time she got there, it was hard to tell. Someone threw a yellow t-shirt at her, someone else pressed a bottle into her free hand, and she gave up asking for JT and just escaped back into the hallway. She was laughing to herself as she went, but god, she wasn't up for that kind of party right now.

She took the teleportal home, and she wasn't too surprised to find the ground floor of her building in pretty much the same state as Co-Op. She looked for her teammates as much as she could, but she didn't really expect to be able to find them here even if they were present. She scanned the crowd on her way to the lift, ducking congratulations and dodging people with more drinks and hoping someone would have told her if the Kerovan Rangers were gone.

She shouldn't have worried. Zhane met her outside the lift on their floor, shouting and picking her up and she shrieked in surprise and glee and for a moment she thought they were going to fall down. But then her feet were back on the ground and he kissed her and yanked the yellow t-shirt out of her hands, holding it up for a split second before tossing it over his shoulder.

"Wrong planet!" he was yelling happily, waving at the rest of the hall which was strangely full of people. "Someone get this girl a marker!"

"A what?" She had been so ready to hear him say "a drink" that she had a protest all ready, and then he didn't. But before he could answer she caught sight of his partner and it was her turn to shout. "Andros!"

His t-shirt registered where Zhane's hadn't, because it was so odd to see him wearing something so flamboyant. It was bright red with "KO-35" scrawled across it in sparkling letters and numbers, so glittering that she was afraid to hug him lest it rub off on her. Andros obviously wasn't worried, though, because he wrapped her in a hug just as strong and warm as Zhane's and maybe a little more serious because he didn't let go for a long time.

"I missed you," she heard him whisper in his ear, and she buried her face in his neck and smiled against his skin.

"I missed you too." He might have heard her or he might not, but he had to expect her answer so it didn't really matter either way.

She held onto him, wondering why none of the rest of her teammates were quite as easy to hug as Andros. He was exactly the right height, the right softness, the right something. She had never told him how much she liked to hold him, but he always hugged her back and Zhane had never complained, so--

Had Zhane kissed her, before? When she stepped out of the lift? Smiling at the thought, she turned her head on Andros' shoulder without loosening her embrace. He hugged her harder and she let him as she searched the hall with her eyes.

It was full of neighbors and animals and balloons, because someone had balloons and why hadn't she known that until now? There were chairs, actual furniture that people had dragged out of their apartments and set up in the hallway, and that had to be a fire hazard. Someone was even... cooking? She definitely smelled food, and she didn't think it was coming from behind someone's closed door.

Of course, a lot of the doors were locked open. There was music coming from someone's apartment, quiet enough that it was hard to hear over the talking and the calling for dogs or food or whatever they were doing. An indoor block party, she decided. And maybe it was just because she knew these people, but it was so much quieter than what was going on downstairs that she thought she might actually be up to it. For a little while, at least.

"I'll take this!" Zhane must have snuck up on them from the other direction, because she didn't see him coming until he was right behind Andros, tugging the bottle she'd been given out of her hand. She felt Andros squeeze her tighter just before he let go, then all of a sudden another pair of arms wrapped around them both and she felt a kiss on her head.

For some reason, that made Andros laugh, and he pulled away just as Zhane let them both go. "I can't believe you actually get more affectionate when you're drunk," Andros teased. "It doesn't seem possible."

"You know you love it," Zhane declared cheerfully.

Andros put a hand behind his head and pulled him close for a kiss. "Too much for your own good," he agreed, mussing Zhane's hair before he let him go.

Zhane beamed at him, then turned on Ashley. "I brought you a present!" he crowed. He wasn't wearing his silver shirt, she realized, seconds before he grabbed it from the recliner he'd dropped it in to hug them. "Arms over your head!"

She blinked, but she did as he asked, and she couldn't help giggling as he tugged his t-shirt on over what was left of her field uniform. He was surprisingly coordinated, at least if Andros was right and he really was drunk. He wasn't acting much differently than he usually did when he was excited, so she wouldn't have been convinced herself, but she didn't doubt that Andros would know.

"Perfect!" Zhane exclaimed, grinning when he stepped back to look at her.

She looked down, and sure enough, "KO-35" sparkled across the front of the silver shirt. "What are these?" she asked, laughing at his obvious delight. He was wearing a gaping sleeveless shirt now, presumably because what he'd done to her was exactly what had been done to him--someone was passing out these shirts for Rangers to put on over whatever they happened to be wearing at the time.

"Party favors!" Zhane declared, spinning away to pick something up. Her yellow shirt, she realized, when he turned back toward them and held it up. It said "Earth" across the front, and he waved it like a flag. "They obviously got yours wrong!"

"Do you still want to come with us?" Andros asked. He was studying her with more seriousness than Zhane, who seemed to take for granted that she wasn't even from Earth anymore.

She laughed, sliding up against him and hooking her arm around his waist easily. His arm went around her like it was automatic, and he was so relaxed that she wondered if maybe he'd been drinking too. Andros wasn't big on public displays of emotion.

"You know I do," she said, squeezing him gently. "Why else am I here? You think I came all the way out of occupied territory into the heart of the Free Systems just to turn around and go back again?"

Zhane had collapsed in the recliner, apparently paying no attention to them as he laid her yellow shirt across his lap and took a marker to it. He'd gotten his marker, she realized belatedly. But where?

Glancing around, Ashley decided she should have been more surprised if he hadn't found one. No one was swarming them--which made a welcome change from everywhere else she'd been on the planet--but people were watching and talking and there seemed to be more stuff in the hallway than could possibly have fit into all these little apartments.

"We weren't sure you'd come back at all," Andros admitted. "But I kept this for you because I hoped you would."

She looked over at him in surprise as he pulled away from her. He needed the arm she'd had around him, she realized, when she saw what he held. Her eyes widened as he fastened the Yellow astromorpher to her wrist.

She lifted her gaze to his and found him smiling shyly at her. "It's yours now," he said. "Not just in defense of the Free Systems, but to represent the Kerovan system."

They had always known that if they survived the war they would give up the Power that had been on loan to them all this time. But it had seemed such a remote possibility that she hadn't spend much time wondering what that might mean for her, returning to KO-35 with them. And until now, she hadn't spent any time at all wondering what his former teammate might think.

"What about Kerone?" she blurted out. As soon as she heard the words aloud she wished she hadn't said them.

Andros tried to answer anyway. "If Kerone comes back..." He stopped and tried again. "If we get her back--"

"She'll just have to settle for pink," Zhane interrupted carelessly. Bouncing to his feet again, he held up her yellow t-shirt for inspection. "What do you think?"

She clapped her hand over her mouth, muffling her giggle. Under the glittering word "Earth," Zhane had written "+ KO-35." At her reaction, he whirled the shirt around, and now she didn't bother to hide her delight. There hadn't been anything on the back of the shirt before, but now it read "Sai Kung" in big bold letters. The last free town on KO-35... and now the first to re-establish an independent government, thanks mostly to their counterparts from Justin's dimension.

"I love it," she informed him, holding out her hands.

He pulled the t-shirt back, though, pointing toward the open door behind him. "Promise to change," he teased. "The only reason I went to all this trouble is because I know your t-shirt will fit you better than mine does!"

"You said it was a party favor," she reminded him, rolling her eyes. "How well can it fit?"

Andros cleared his throat. "You obviously haven't seen many Rangers tonight."

"I came right here from the capitol." She eyed him suspiciously. "Are you kidding?"

A smile threatened at the edges of Andros' expression, and Ashley grabbed the t-shirt away from Zhane and knocked on the open door. "Can I come in?" she called. Whose apartment was this? She should know, but with the way the hall had been reorganized and everything was everywhere she couldn't remember off the top of her head.

When no one answered, she ducked inside and yanked Zhane's t-shirt off over her head. Like anyone would care if they caught her shirtless. It just wasn't that kind of night, she thought, pulling off her uniform top and dropping it on top of Zhane's silver shirt. When she pulled the yellow "Earth" shirt over her head and it stretched, she started to understand what they'd meant.

Amused, she swung back out into the hall and tossed Zhane's silver shirt back at him. "Isn't this sexism?" she demanded. "Why do the boys get regular t-shirts and the girls get these?"

Andros shrugged innocently, but Zhane ratted him out. "The team leaders picked them," he told her. "Supposedly so everyone got the right planet of origin, but teams that have girls in charge? You should see what the guys are wearing."

He sounded positively gleeful about the whole situation, and she supposed he had reason to be. If it were up to him, the male Astro Rangers would probably be in muscle shirts. Which was maybe one reason among several that Andros had made sure they weren't.

"Thanks a lot," she told Andros, smirking at him so he'd know she was kidding. "Your choice, and it still says 'Earth' on it? Why is that?"

"Well," he said defensively. "Karen still had your morpher until a few hours ago."

Ashley blinked, looking around. "Where is she? She doesn't get a shirt?"

"She went back to Earth," Zhane offered. "Whatever magic you worked to get back here on your own--and by the way we would have come for you, no matter what Andros says--Carlos wasn't as determined. So she went to him."

She had known Carlos wasn't coming back. He had stayed on Earth after Aquitar's forces retreated, and although she had told him she was on her way back to Eltare today she hadn't bothered to ask if he wanted to come along. He was deep in the ninja resistance now. But as hard as it was to get off of Earth--

"How did Karen get back there?" Ashley demanded. "You guys know there's a quarantine in effect, right? I can't believe Eltare sent a shuttle just for her."

"Nope," Zhane agreed. "Aquitar did. Funny planet," he added fondly, like he was talking about a nephew or niece and Ashley really didn't know where that came from. The alcohol, maybe. Although he hadn't touched the bottle he'd taken from her.

"Aquitar?" she repeated, glancing at Andros.

He shrugged. "Apparently they owe Carlos."

"Big time," Zhane put in. "That little thing where they helped free Earth? They say that was in payment of their planet's debt. Then they each have personal debt because Carlos' double saved their team leader or something."

"They have kind of a complicated code of honor," Andros murmured.

She just stared at him for a moment. "I guess," she said at last. At this rate, they could be paying Carlos back for the rest of his life. Then she remembered something, and she poked Andros. "Hey, about that quarantine! You couldn't have mentioned that at some point? I had a lot of trouble getting through!"

"You couldn't have mentioned that you were coming at some point?" Andros retorted. "I could have taken care of all of it for you!"

For some reason, that made Zhane laugh. "Yeah, and he could have, too! As far as anyone around here is concerned, Andros won the war all by himself!"

Andros sighed. "I just meant that it would have been a lot easier to get an operative through the quarantine if we'd had advance notice."

"Not according to Jenkarta!" Zhane gloated. "He wanted to ban UCs from coming back at all! There's a waiting list as long as the solar system! I can't believe you just walked in!"

"It wasn't easy," Ashley informed him. "And it's been a really long day, so I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"Hungry?" Andros offered quickly. "Zhane cooked, Bgoua's cooking now, and I think Amanda saved you something from yesterday. It's not our first party," he explained, in response to her inquiring look.

"It's Andros' first party," Zhane corrected.

Andros didn't so much as blink. "First and last," he agreed. "We said we'd stick around to see everyone from Earth off tomorrow..."

"And we made them promise to send word from you," Zhane added. "We figured we'd hear from you by tomorrow night. And if we didn't, well, either way," he said with a shrug. "Last night on Eltare."

"I was worried I'd miss you," Ashley admitted. "I mean, that you'd already be gone when I got here."

"We'd have come for you," Andros told her. "Zhane wasn't kidding about that."

"And Andros can do it," Zhane said with a grin. "He can get anything he wants right now. Might want to take advantage of it while it lasts."

She smiled at Andros' expression, reaching for Zhane as she leaned up against his partner, perfectly content that they would let her hug them both at the same time. "All I want is you," she told them. "And also, some food."

"You've got it," Zhane promised, wrapping an arm around her even as Andros did the same on her other side.

"All of it," Andros added quietly.

He still had family on Earth. TJ was sure of that, at least, and it was more than he could say for some members of his team. Or some members of Andros' team. Were they his team again, now that they were bound for Earth? Or were they not even a team at all, without morphers or a Power to call their own?

Ashley had sent him as much information as she had on the ninja resistance--relevant and not--including the identities of the most recent Earth Rangers. It was quite a list, especially when she included zord pilots, backup pilots, and field coordinators. Even just the six people with morphers made quite a list when Ashley was the one feeding the information.

Shane Clarke, Tori Hanson, and Dustin Brooks all held Wind morphers, fresh off the street and with no prior ninja training at all. Which didn't bother TJ in the slightest, considering his own history, but apparently it had caused some controversy within the resistance. From what Ashley said, Shane handled the critics while Tori and Dustin were under loose and mostly ineffectual orders not to speak when authority figures were present.

Hunter Bradley, Blake Bradley, and Cameron Watanabe held the other three morphers--Thunder morphers, although TJ wasn't too clear on the difference--and that caused its own problems. Mainly because, from what TJ understood, Cameron was the resident techie and nobody except Cameron himself and Ashley, who seemed to have considerable sway, wanted him risking his life more than absolutely necessary. And secondarily, because Cameron was involved with Hunter and the two of them tended to be a volatile combination.

Ashley wrote detailed reports, TJ reflected ruefully. She actually included anecdotes when she felt they served to illustrate the situation. And in all fairness, these people represented the major power on his home planet right now, and he probably couldn't know too much about them. But he did have to wonder if the people she'd been working with had any idea how well-informed he and his team would be coming back.

The sound of the door chime made him glance at the clock. Not that late, at least by his schedule, but certainly time to finish getting ready for tomorrow's departure. He'd already read everything that Ashley had sent ahead twice, and according to traffic logs that put her exit from the teleportal system in the Kerovan Rangers' building, he wouldn't be getting any more information out of her tonight.

He might not be getting any more information from her tomorrow, either. TJ knew that she'd made a commitment to return to KO-35 with Andros and Zhane if it ever become possible, but like many people in the Free Systems, he'd had trouble envisioning that day. In all honesty, he'd thought that Andros would die in defense of his teammates any number of times over the past three years. The idea that the Red Astro Ranger would ever return to liberate KO-35 had seemed wildly improbable.

Yet he was going. The Kerovan Rangers' departure time was now listed as the day after tomorrow, and sure enough, it wasn't just Andros and Zhane's names that were on the board. TJ stared at the name "Ashley Hammond" posted alongside theirs for several seconds, wondering when exactly she planned to say goodbye.

Then he realized someone at the door still wanted his attention, and further, that it wasn't just anyone standing out there in the hallway. The chimes all had a Ranger override that broadcast their guests' team affiliation if they so chose, and right now, this one so chose. So, in the moments following the second chime, the word "Elisia" filled the silence.

TJ scowled. He couldn't help it. They worked together during the day, they avoided each other at night. Those were the terms of their unspoken but completely mutual agreement. Which meant that the person at the door had no business being at his apartment.

He answered it anyway. Habits of war were ingrained, and he supposed they might never fade. He blinked at the face that greeted him, scowl melting into surprise, and Jenna smiled wryly in return.

"Surprise," she said. "Sorry to disturb you."

"Nah, not a problem." It was automatic, a polite dismissal that bought him extra seconds to consider this totally unexpected situation. What his brain came up with wasn't perfect, but it was true, so he went with it. "I'm not used to seeing you in pink."

"Yeah?" Jenna held her arms out to her sides and looked down, as though she was still getting used to it herself. "Elisia" was emblazoned across the front of her pink t-shirt, and it was far and away the brightest thing he had ever seen her wear.

"I guess that's fair," she added, when she looked up. She was still smiling. "I'm not used to seeing you in red."

There must have been something instinctive about her reaction, because he found himself looking down too. His equally eye-catching red shirt had "Earth" scrawled across the chest, and he shrugged a little. "Andros picked the colors," he offered. The red had caught him by surprise, but he appreciated the gesture.

"Yeah," Jenna repeated, and her smile lost something. "Saryn asked for black, but someone must have overruled him. I got pink, he got red. He won't even wear his."

"Everyone lost someone," TJ said neutrally.

"I respect his decision," she replied, and her tone was just as even. "We all mourn differently."

There wasn't really anything he could say to that, so he didn't try.

Jenna hesitated, and his resolve softened. She was just another Ranger, after all. Just another survivor in the wake of a war that wasn't over--and when it was, what would they do? Were any of them good for anything but fighting anymore?

He wasn't sure any of them had expected to make it out of this alive. Now it suddenly seemed possible. Possible, uncertain, and strangely frightening. All they had had to get them through this war was each other. And maybe, now, it was all they still had.

"Want to come in?" TJ offered. He even managed a smile as he stepped aside, because Ashley always said that a little bit of warmth went a long way. And there was no arguing that Ashley had gone farther than any of them.

"I actually came by to invite you out," Jenna said, and her wry smile was back. "You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you? It doesn't seem right that you spend your last night here alone."

He kept his mouth shut for as long as it took to not say anything cruel. It didn't take as much time as he'd thought. "I've been reviewing the intelligence from Earth," he said at last, in lieu of anything more personal.

"I've been moping," Jenna said bluntly. "I'm tired of it, but I don't feel like crashing a party alone. I was hoping you'd come with me."

He opened his mouth, then changed his mind at the last second. "Come in," he said again. "I'll just turn stuff off here and then we can go."

He saw a real smile on her face for the first time, and he decided that he liked it.

"You live alone?" Jenna asked, peering around as she waited for him just inside the door. "I'm sorry if that's a tactless question," she added quickly. "If you're coming with me on condition of avoided topics, you'll have to tell me what they are."

Her honesty actually made him chuckle as he shut down the systems he'd been using and dimmed the lights. "No conditions," he said firmly. "As long as you don't expect me to answer, you can ask me anything you want."

"Okay." Jenna leaned back against the door for just a second. "I don't know where they are. If we run into them, is that going to be a problem?"

"If he doesn't talk to me, I won't talk to him," TJ answered. "Ready?"

She straightened up, and he figured this was the moment. If she was here for something more than company, they weren't gong to leave this apartment. He wasn't sure he was lonely enough to agree. But he was still angry enough to listen.

Jenna just stepped out of the way, and they headed outside together. He couldn't decide between disappointed and relieved, but he was leaning toward relieved. Cassandra would say that it would do him good to get out. She was usually right. He just didn't listen to her as well as he used to.

"Yeah," TJ said abruptly. It might be an uncomfortable topic, but it was better than grim silence. "I do live alone. I guess neither of us were ready for roommates."

"I still live with Saryn," Jenna remarked, staring straight ahead. "At least until tomorrow."

TJ's expression twisted. "He's coming with us." He wasn't looking forward to the trip to Earth.

"I'm staying," Jenna said quietly. "I don't imagine I'll be ready for a roommate after this, either."

"How'd you live with him for so long?" TJ wanted to know. If she could ask anything, so could he. She didn't have to answer.

Her reply wasn't what he'd expected. "How could I not?"

He gave her a sideways look, and she must have caught it.

"I love him," she said, shrugging it off like it was nothing. "He loves me. It was enough to get us through the war."

"He slept with my fiancee," TJ said harshly.

"She makes him smile," Jenna said softly. "Do you know, I heard him laugh yesterday? It was something she said. It wasn't even funny, but he just... laughed."

You don't have to sleep with someone because they make you laugh, TJ wanted to say, but he didn't. He wasn't sure why he didn't, except that Jenna hadn't done anything to him and she wasn't trying to tell him what to think about anything and somehow that made her easier to listen to. She was right, after all. He didn't really want to be alone tonight, either.

"He used to laugh all the time," Jenna murmured. "He made me laugh. Before the war, he was funny and charming. I just wish... I just want to see him like that again."

"Cassandra showed me pictures of the twins," TJ blurted out. Why were they talking about this? How weird was it that they were just wandering the city on what had to be the biggest party night the planet had ever seen, talking about their exes?

"I saw the one she gave Saryn," Jenna agreed wistfully, like it wasn't weird at all. "He carries it with him wherever he goes."

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to see them together without going crazy," TJ said. He had been afraid to say it, but now he was just glad that it was out. And with that confession he realized why they were talking to each other at all: they couldn't talk to anyone else.

"I don't know if I'll be able to not see them," Jenna whispered, and he heard the waver in her voice. He put a hand on her shoulder instinctively, and she leaned into him without another word. She didn't stop, though.

After a moment, they managed to coordinate their steps and he slid an arm around her shoulder, figuring the comfort was worth the awkwardness. In a strange way, they understood each other. So they shared what they could, bore what they couldn't, and they walked on.

He was drunk. Andros was right about that, even if Ashley obviously didn't believe him, and Zhane figured that was a good thing. He needed to be drunk for tonight, or he would never have the courage to do what he'd already decided that he had to do.

It might help his cause a little if the others had a few drinks too. Unfortunately, Andros didn't associate drinking with celebration, and he would know something was up if Zhane pushed him. He knew from experience that Ashley could be cajoled into drinking with a minimum of resistance and no hard feelings--but if Andros thought she was drunk, it might negate the entire point of the exercise. Zhane couldn't risk it.

So it was up to him to sit back, finally locked away from the rest of the world for a while, and watch Andros let Ashley write on the back of his t-shirt with the marker Zhane had stolen while he plotted. Because he could see perfectly well what was going on, but according to everything Saryn said about empathy, it wasn't everyone else in the world that was slow--it was him that was quick. Which meant, sadly, the fact that he could see it didn't mean anyone else would be having an epiphany anytime soon.

Not without a little help, anyway.

Ashley's delighted laugh made him grin, and he raised his glass to her in a mock-toast as Andros modeled his newly decorated shirt in the privacy of their apartment. The name "Sai Kung" now adorned the back of his red t-shirt, just as it did Ashley's. Only his looked like it was supposed to be that way, because Ashley had the best lettering when she put her mind to it.

"I think it's your turn," Andros declared, plucking the marker out of Ashley's hand. And it was so obvious, Zhane didn't know how they could not see it. Andros had been too close to Ashley, he'd had to sit still and be patient while she had her hands all over him, and now he wanted to do the same thing to Zhane. Just to remind everyone where his loyalties lay.

To remind himself, Zhane thought.

Andros wouldn't forget himself with Ashley as long as Zhane was around. Personal code of honor. Zhane knew it well, he knew what it took to overcome it, and he'd been working on it for months. Ever since he'd realized they really did have a chance of getting out of this thing alive.

As long as they were at war, even the slightest hesitation could get someone killed. The smallest uncertainty, a newly recognized doubt... Saryn and Cassandra had thrown more than just their own teams into tumult, and Zhane wasn't going to bring all that down on their heads again. If nothing else, he and Andros were Ashley's one true faith in this whole struggle, and there was no way he would make her question that when she didn't have anything else.

"I think I'd rather have Ashley do it," Zhane drawled, keeping his tone as cheerful and innocent as he could manage. What he'd really rather have was Andros watching him and Ashley together. "She has better handwriting."

Now he needed her to question them. Not because he didn't love Andros, because he did. But he could love more than just his partner, and Andros already did. Whether he knew it or not, Andros had fallen for Ashley Hammond a long time ago. And if it weren't for his relationship with Zhane, he'd be with her right now.

Andros was pouting. That was easily the funniest thing Zhane had seen all day, and maybe it had something to do with the number of drinks he'd finished off and maybe it didn't, but it made him laugh. "Don't worry," he teased. "I still love you."

"You could just take your shirt off," Ashley pointed out, retrieving the marker from Andros. "It's win-win: Andros gets to see you without it, and I don't have to watch him sulk the whole time."

Except that then Andros would get to pretend that all he wanted was Zhane, and Ashley would buy it because that was the sort of girl she was, and she would leave them alone and they would go to bed and nothing would change. "Win-win" was double-sided, sure... but there were three of them.

"I prefer win-win-win," Zhane said, feeling inspired. "Andros gets his own marker, you can work together to make my shirt the best around, and I don't even have to move. What do you say?"

"I think you're just too lazy to sit up," Ashley retorted. Predictably, though, she humored him, and he rolled over on his stomach when she came over to sit down next to him.

Ranger heaved a sigh at the loss of his napping partner, and Ashley leaned over Zhane to comfort him. "Don't worry," she promised the dog. "He's not going anywhere."

Shows how much you know, Zhane thought, amused.

"Neither is Andros," he mused aloud, resting his chin on his fists as he wondered what his partner's expression looked like. "Got something better to do?"

"I'll let you know," Andros answer cryptically.

Then, just like that, he heard Andros' voice in his head. *What are you doing?* It sounded more curious than accusatory, which was good, because Zhane wasn't really in the mood for accusatory. And it was also bad, because he could manipulate Andros, he really could. He just couldn't usually do it without Andros noticing.

Andros was noticing now. It remained to be seen whether he would object or not. But Saryn had given Zhane some tips on empathy in exchange for a sympathetic ear a while back, and he was absolutely sure that he knew how the calming vibe worked. He didn't really need alcohol to loosen them up after all--as long as he was relaxed, he could make them feel it too.

*I just want her to feel included,* Zhane said silently. *She's coming back home with us, Andros. I don't want her to feel like she's just along for the ride. I want her to be part of things... part of us.*

He would have liked to know what Andros thought of that, but Ashley poked him gently in the shoulder. "Are you talking about me?" she wanted to know. She was still drawing on his back, but she was clearly aware of their telepathic conversation. "If you want to be alone, you could just say so."

"No," Zhane said quickly. "Stay."

"Just the opposite," Andros added. "I just wanted to know what was so bad about my handwriting, and Zhane was saying he didn't want you to feel left out."

With his usual mix of honesty and innocence, Andros managed to be as adorably tactless as he was in any personal interaction. Give the man a stage and he could lead the world, but give him a second look and he started to stammer. Which Ashley would hopefully learn firsthand before the night was over.

Luckily, she was plenty used to him already, and she just laughed as his clumsy solicitousness. "I see how it is," she teased, patting Zhane's shoulder with her free hand. "Is that why you kissed me, before?"

He brightened even though she couldn't see it. "No," he said blithely. "I just think there should be more kissing in the world."

Ashley didn't let him down. "I totally agree," she informed him. "I think you're doing all of us a service."

"Yes," he confirmed. "Now if you could convince Andros of that for me, I'd owe you forever."

"Andros!" Ashley exclaimed, as though something had just occurred to her. Her pretended innocence was ruined by her giggle, but Zhane thought it added charm. "C'mere!"

"Yeah, come on," Zhane agreed. "This is a philosophy that requires practice."

He was calm, he believed in this, and he was still a little surprised when Andros actually came over. Turning his head to one side, he was just in time to see Andros sit down and kiss Ashley on the cheek before he offered her three new markers. "Different color?"

"Why thank you," Ashley said, and Zhane didn't miss her sudden giddiness, even hidden as it was behind her pretended solemnity. "Zhane," she added, "does it count if he only kisses me on the cheek?"

Zhane cheered silently. This wasn't going to be impossible after all. They wanted each other, it was so obvious, all they needed was a little push in the right direction and they would be... he really hoped he knew what he was doing.

"No," he declared, not about to change his mind now. "Both mouths must be involved for it to be a real kiss. Come on," he added, not sure he was telling the truth anymore. "It's not like I mind. I started it!"

"Yeah, you don't want Zhane to feel left out, now, do you?" Ashley teased. She was totally focused on Andros now, open marker forgotten in her hand and the other three on the floor between them.

Andros held her gaze and Zhane barely dared to breath as he leaned in, more slowly than anyone did for a casual kiss, even someone kissing his roommate in front of his partner for the first time. And when they came together it was gentle and sweet and nothing would ever be the same again, because that kiss lingered. Ashley closed her eyes, Andros didn't, and Zhane knew exactly when he understood.

*Are you mad at me?* Andros asked in his mind. He was already turning toward Zhane as he pulled away, and Zhane could sense his confusion as clearly as his dread. Not quite how one wanted to feel after a kiss that was undeniably romantic, but Andros was more on top of the empathy thing than Zhane had realized because Andros knew that Zhane had already known.

Are you mad at me became why did you make me kiss her in Zhane's mind. Andros wasn't asking if Zhane knew what he felt, Andros took for granted that Zhane had been there before him. He was asking why Zhane had told him like that.

"I'm sorry," Ashley blurted out, looking from one of them to the other. "Did I do something wrong? What are you talking about?"

"Andros asked if I'm mad at him." Zhane pushed himself up on one elbow and smiled at her reassuringly, including Andros in his glance. "I said I don't mind," he reminded them both. "And I don't. Really."

Andros didn't look comforted, and Ashley was frowning. "Why don't you mind?" she asked, scooting closer to him as he sat up. "You kissed me. You told me to kiss Andros. I'm not complaining," she hurried to add, "but why? What's going on?"

Zhane looked from her to Andros and saw the same question on his face. They were onto him, no question. But they were also as close as they'd been all evening, the three of them, and they were still asking questions instead of apologizing--mostly--so that seemed like a good sign. Maybe he couldn't make this decision for them. Maybe he couldn't even make it for himself. But maybe they were all willing to at least consider it, now.

"We're leaving," Zhane said at last. "All of us," he added, when he saw Ashley's alarmed expression. "All three of us, we're going back to KO-35, we're going home. Together. We're going to be as close as we were here, maybe closer, and look--"

He looked from one of them to the other, and he felt his own calm all around them. Strengthened, somehow, by the way they turned to him for answers. Not shutting him out, not at all, not falling into each other after all... not without him.

"This is going to happen," he said quietly. "I just think we should all know what we're getting into, that's all."

Ashley looked at Andros, and Andros looked at him. "If this is a choice," he said at last. Awkwardly. Uncertainly, like he thought maybe there was a game here that he just wasn't getting.

"No one's choosing anyone unless they choose everyone," Zhane said firmly. "I'm sorry, but I can see what's between you and I can't live with it any other way. I can't."

That was it. He'd just laid down the law, for himself and for everyone else. They could choose each other, without him, but neither of them would and he knew it perfectly well. So if they chose him, they had to choose each other, too. There was no going back now.

Ashley's eyes were very wide as she stared at him, and he thought maybe she was caught somewhere between crying and smiling. There were definitely tears in her eyes, but she shook her head and her voice was completely even. "You guys are my model for love," she told them. "You know that, I've told you that--"

Not so even after all, when she swallowed. "I would never, ever turn down a chance to be a part of that," she said, more softly. She looked away from Zhane at last, finding Andros' worried gaze. "But I don't think I can live with it if you're just doing it because you think you have to."

Zhane looked at Andros too. He was just sitting there, frowning a little, obviously scaring Ashley. Zhane was about to whack him on the shoulder when Andros glanced over at him in surprise, like he'd heard what Zhane was thinking.

"I'm trying to remember," Andros said slowly, "the last time anyone accused me of doing something because I thought I had to."

Ashley looked startled as Zhane let out a whoop of laughter. He tackled Andros, one hand behind his head to keep him from banging it as he shoved him to the floor. "You're crazy," he informed his partner. "Every time I start to think--"

"Maybe I'm just this normal guy," Andros said with a grin. It was what Zhane had said to him when they first met. "Maybe I just happened to get stuck with responsibility for the entire world."

"You go and pull something like this!" Zhane finished triumphantly. "You're crazy!"

Andros was totally relaxed underneath him, and he rolled his head to one side to grin at Ashley. "He used to say that to me," he explained. "Back on KO-35. I want you with us," he added, with nothing to smooth the transition from one topic to another.

"Me too," Zhane said, reaching out for her. "Come on and be crazy with us. Please."

Ashley laughed at them, like she'd finally figured out that it was okay, and she grabbed his hand and let him pull her close. She didn't stop when she was right beside him, either, leaning in to kiss him and dropping her free hand to Andros'. Without turning his head, Zhane could see Andros lift her hand to his lips.

"Okay," Ashley murmured, cuddling up against them. "Me three."

20. Phoenix Family

They had a family meeting on the first anniversary of their move to the hangar. Now settled in their very own house, they convened in the kitchen and waited for Kerone to finish putting Kae to bed downstairs. It was just the five of them now, with Ty living in his own place farther out in the foothills.

Well, the five of them plus DECA, who had pretty much moved into the house with them. An informal vote had given her the run of the place, meaning projectors in every room, on condition of her observing family rules of privacy. Act like a human and be treated like a human, Andros had said. And she did.

It actually worked in their favor, even if Andros occasionally complained that it creeped him out to hear his mother's voice at their bedroom door. The new arrangement meant that DECA's hologram sometimes turned up in the kitchen, "working" at a computer terminal, or pretending to read in the living room, and the house was big enough that it was nice to have another person around. The projectors also meant that there wasn't anywhere in the house Kae could hide from her, and that was worth having her everywhere they were right there.

She didn't come to family meetings, though. At least, not all of them. She was invited when there were parenting issues to discuss, but the four of them tried to keep some aspects of their personal relationships to themselves. Andros wasn't the only one who felt awkward with a professional mentor listening in.

So when it came time to seriously consider the issue of marriage, they all agreed it was a conversation they had to have alone. Not because any of them were against it--Zhane and Kerone had been convincing proponents of legal family status--but because it wasn't just about legalities. Marriage was as much an emotional issue as it was a practical one, and no one wanted to be left out.

At least, Ashley didn't want to be left out. She was pretty sure Andros only agreed to the meeting because he didn't want to be accused of not respecting someone's wishes. Kerone, too, probably looked at the issue as an obvious solution to an inconvenient problem. But Zhane would want it to mean something, and Ashley knew that in this they were each other's strongest allies.

"Can we move somewhere more comfortable?" Kerone asked, appearing in the middle of the kitchen without warning. Well, without more warning than the violet sparkle of teleportation. She usually used the stairs, and Ashley gave her a surprised look.

"Sorry," Kerone added. "I'm just restless, and I can't tell if it's because I'm tired or magically overpowered."

Either way, she probably needed to relax. "I'm in," Ashley agreed, pushing away from the counter. "Living room?" The library wasn't as comfortable for all of them, and the deck was chilly this time of year.

Zhane picked up her drink along with his own, and Andros asked Kerone if she wanted anything as they slowly moved into the next room. "Hey," Zhane murmured, while the others were distracted. "You're going to help me with this ring thing, right?"

Ashley laughed a little, accepting her drink from him as she sat down on the sofa. "Count on it," she whispered back. He took a seat right next to her, and they exchanged smiles of perfect understanding.

"So here's what I want to know," Andros said, following Kerone into the room. She wandered toward the loveseat while he paused by the armchair. "When do we tell Kristet?"

"Here's a better question," Kerone said quietly, setting her drink down beside her. "What do we tell Kae?"

"Stop." Zhane kept his voice gentle, but there was no arguing with his expression. "We don't owe anyone more than we owe ourselves, so let's talk about us first."

This evoked a brief silence, during which Ashley would bet both Andros and Kerone were trying to figure out what they still needed to talk about. To assuage their impatience, she reminded them, "We can't tell anyone what we're doing until we know ourselves."

"Right," Zhane declared. "So, just for the record. Raise your hand if you're in favor of getting married."

Ashley grinned, but she raised her hand obediently. Andros got away with an eye roll only because he smiled when he did it, and maybe because Zhane wasn't looking directly at him. Kerone was perfectly solemn, and Zane raised his hand when she did.

"Good," he said, with some satisfaction. "So we all agree, in principle, that we're going to get married."

Lowering her hand, Kerone gave him a vaguely suspicious look. "What do you mean, in principle?"

"Well, the next question is how." Zhane paused long enough to give Ashley an obvious look. "There are a lot of rituals surrounding marriage, and I don't know what you're used to. Or what either of you expect," he added, glancing at Kerone and Andros.

Kerone's suspicion had turned to surprise. "I don't understand what you mean," she said, giving her brother a confused look. "Rituals?"

Andros sighed. "They're probably going to make us have a party," he told her.

"No," Ashley jumped in. "I've actually thought about this, okay? Marriage is a serious thing, and I want to have a ceremony. I want to get all dressed up, and take pictures, and years from now I want to be able to tell people the story of my wedding day.

"It doesn't have to be a huge thing," she added quickly. "But I am going to wear a dress, and there will be pictures. Pictures that can be framed and hung on the wall. That's all."

"And you'll get a ring," Zhane remarked casually.

"Yes." She smiled at him. "I want someone to give me a ring. That's important."

"Um..." Kerone looked uncertain, but she sounded curious enough that it was obvious she wasn't trying to offend anyone. "Why? The ring, I mean? Why is that important?"

"It's a tradition," Zhane explained. "I don't know where it comes from, but a lot of human groups give each other jewelry to symbolize a romantic relationship.

"You actually do two rings, don't you?" he added, nudging Ashley. "An engagement ring and a marriage ring?"

"A wedding ring," she corrected. "Yeah. Back home, you give someone a ring when you ask them to marry you. Well, I mean, you offer them one, and if they say yes then they take it and wear it. It's like a pre-marriage thing. A ring you wear until you get married and you have a wedding ring.

"Well," she amended, realizing that wasn't totally true, "some people wear them both."

"So which is the important one?" Zhane asked. "The first one, or the second one?"

She hesitated, but only because she'd always kind of wanted an engagement ring. "The second one," she admitted. "Because whoever's getting married gets a wedding ring, but only the person who's proposed to gets an engagement ring."

"Proposing," Zhane repeated. "That's when you officially ask someone to marry you, right?" When she nodded, he said, "Yeah, here too."

Then he caught her by surprise by saying, "I'd kind of like someone to propose to me, actually. Anyone want to do that?"

"But we already know what you're going to say," Andros blurted out. He looked confused, and Ashley managed to feel sorry for him only because he'd done it to someone other than her this time.

"That's not really the point," she told him carefully. "Most people don't propose unless they're pretty sure of the answer. The point is that you care enough to ask."

"Yeah, and no one ever actually asked me." Zhane sounded thoughtful. "I mean, yeah, it was my idea, so it's not like you have to or anything. I'm just saying it'd be nice if someone did."

"I'll ask you," Kerone offered immediately. "Now, or later?"

"Later," Ashley answered for him. "It's supposed to be... I don't know. Special."

Zhane gave her a knowing look. "Want someone to ask you, too?"

She wrinkled her nose, trying not to smile. "Maybe."

"Okay," Zhane said slowly. "Here's an idea. How about if we all propose to each other? I mean, it's a lot of work for one of us to propose to everyone, but what if we each propose to one other person? Then everyone gets a chance to be the proposer and the proposee."

"The proposee?" Ashley poked him in the shoulder, still trying to hide her smile, but with less success. "Is that a Kerovan term?"

"Just made it up," he said with a grin. "You propose to Astrea, by the way. Andros can't, and I already did. I'll ask Andros, and he can ask you. How's that?"

She frowned, trying to figure it out. "Does that work?"

"Yup." Zhane sounded totally confident. "What do you guys think?"

"How involved is this?" Andros asked warily. "I mean, I'll do whatever you want, but... I don't even really know what it is."

"It doesn't have to be anything fancy," Ashley promised him. "Just, I don't know, take me out to dinner or something. That's all."

"I think I want an engagement ring," Zhane said suddenly. "What about you?"

She blinked at him for a long moment, but he didn't laugh. She really wanted to ask if he was just trying to cause trouble, but what if he wasn't? "Um," she began. The question was easy enough, wasn't it? "Yeah," she admitted. "Kind of."

"I'm going to need a list," Andros told them. He sounded serious.

That was when she started to giggle. "This is the funniest conversation I've ever had," she said, when Zhane's gaze demanded that she share the joke. She couldn't keep from giggling again when his inquisitive look dissolved into a smile. "Really! It is!"

"Okay," Zhane said, looking rueful and amused at the same time. "Ash and I will figure out the ceremony, okay? Is that all right?" he added, nudging her again.

She managed to nod without laughing, but it only lasted until he grinned at her and then she was giggling again. "We'll just plan our wedding," she exclaimed gleefully. "Oh, god, remember when you asked me to elope?"

"Now we have our chance," Zhane agreed, smirking.

"At least we know Andros and Kerone can't run away together while we're busy," she gasped, still laughing.

"We'll all pick out a wedding ring together," Zhane said, apparently deciding that ignoring her was the best way to calm her down. "So the only thing you have to do is pick an engagement ring and pick a place to propose. Okay?"

"Engagement ring, place to propose," Andros repeated, like he was trying to commit the words to memory. "Got it."

Unfortunately, that only set her off again, and he glared at her. "You know, I'm not very good at these rituals. If you're not nice to me, I might accidentally forget about the ring or something."

"No!" She was breathless from laughing so hard, and she thought she might be verging on hysterical but it was a welcome relief after a long day. "Are you seriously threatening me with no engagement ring if I don't stop laughing at you?"

Luckily for her, she heard Zhane chuckle. "Sorry," he told Andros. "That is kind of funny."

"So I have to do that too, right?" Kerone interrupted. "Get you an engagement ring, and then ask you to marry me? Do I ask you to marry me, or all of us?"

"All of us," Andros said firmly. "No one's eloping."

"Yes." Zhane nodded in her direction. "That's it. Ash and I will take care of the rest of it."

"Oh, except--" Ashley put her hand over her stomach, making a genuine effort to recover. It wasn't that funny. Really. "Except everyone has to dress up, because there are going to be pictures, remember? So clothes and wedding rings. We can all decide together on those."

"In other words, you want to approve what all of us wear," Zhane teased.

She shrugged, leaning back against the sofa with a tired sigh. Laughing was exhausting. "Pretty much, yeah."

Kerone eyed her with a combination of concern and curiosity. "So, have we gotten to the part where we talk about what to tell Kae?"

"Yes," Ashley said, struggling to sit up again. Then she paused, glancing around. "Right?"

"Everyone okay?" Zhane asked.

"Is Kae part of the ceremony?" Andros wanted to know. "He's not getting married, but he's part of the family."

Zhane looked at Ashley, and she realized that he wasn't the only one. "He's kind of the point," Ashley agreed. "We sometimes have ringbearers at wedding ceremonies... you know, someone who carries the rings for the people who are getting married?"

"Oh," Kerone said softly. "That would be nice."

Zhane smiled, and Ashley glanced over at Andros. "Whatever you think," he said with a shrug. "It does seem like it would be good to have him involved somehow."

"Ringbearer," Zhane repeated. "I like it. Plus, that way when we talk about it with him, we can talk about it as a family ceremony instead of just as us getting married."

Kerone was nodding slightly, but she didn't say anything aloud.

"We should give Kristet a heads up too," Ashley offered. "You're right that she should know probably as soon as possible."

"I'd rather not have it on the news right away," Andros said carefully.

"No." Ashley was in total agreement there.

"Maybe..." Zhane was pondering. "After everyone's proposed? Can we tell them once we're all engaged?"

"Yeah... no," Ashley realized, the practical implications catching up with her. "What if someone proposes tomorrow, and someone else does it two weeks from now? If one of us is wearing an engagement ring, we're all going to get questions."

"No wearing them until we all have them." Andros was, as ever, the voice of reason. The sometimes totally unromantic voice of reason.

Ashley made a face at him. "You'd better propose to me last," she told him. "I'm not hiding my beautiful engagement ring for very long."

"Your what?" Andros gave her a look of utter non-comprehension, then his face cleared. "Oh, right, the ring. It's a good thing you reminded me about that."

She sighed, trying not to smile. "Someone throw a pillow at him for me?"

Kerone obliged. Which was only one of many reasons that she got her engagement ring first. The other reasons were, in order of importance: Ashley liked to shop, Kerone wanted help with her proposal, and the moment was unexpectedly and completely right the next evening.

She and Kerone had a girls' night in while the boys took Kae to a holoshow, which was a sweet and sort of alarming thought. Anything that Zhane and Andros liked probably wasn't appropriate for a five-year-old boy, after all. But Kerone had suffered another magical overload that afternoon, and the boys had promised to be good, so Ashley wasn't about to turn down the reprieve.

"Feeling better?" she asked, sitting down beside Kerone on the bed as she offered her a mug of hot chocolate. She took a sip of her own while she waited for Kerone to answer.

"Still a little out of control," Kerone said with a sigh. "But I guess it's my own fault, so."

"I didn't ask who's fault it was," Ashley chided. "Just whether or not you're feeling better."

Kerone smiled at that, handing her mug back. "Hold this?"

Ashley took it, setting them both on the table beside the bed. She'd shooed Kerone into the room she shared with the boys as soon as Andros and Zhane were gone, telling her to pick a movie and make herself comfortable. Kerone had worn herself out throwing her magic around earlier.

Kerone was now pulling a tiny projector out of her pocket. She sat up a little straighter, adjusting their numerous pillows behind her so she could pretend to sprawl while she worked. Because Ashley recognized that projector. It was for recording things to be shared with other people--Kerone was perfectly capable of generating complicated holograms all on her own, and anything she did recreationally didn't need to be recorded.

"You're supposed to be relaxing," Ashley said, without much conviction. All of her instincts about Kerone's health issues were wrong, unfortunately. The best thing for Kerone when this happened was actually to do more, as long as the "more" was magical.

"I am," Kerone assured her, waving her over. "And yes, I'm feeling better. But we have hours with no boys, and I have questions about this proposing thing."

Ashley laughed, scooting closer and deciding she might not mind this kind of work after all. "Okay," she agreed, reaching back for her hot chocolate. "Let's hear your brilliant plan."

Kerone gave her a sideways look. "Is there supposed to be a brilliant plan?"

"I already know you have a brilliant plan," Ashley informed her. "Don't give me that look. I don't think there's anyone in this house that buys that look."

Kerone's expression melted into a smile, and she turned her projector on. "Here's my brilliant plan," she said. "It involves a lot of magic, and I want to know if you think the neighborhood can handle it."

Ashley stared at the hologram, her eyes widening as she realized what she was looking at. "Is this all you?" she asked, just to be sure.

Kerone nodded wordlessly.

"Wow," Ashley breathed. "That's beautiful."

"Well," Kerone said with a shrug. "You know Zhane will want a party. And he's the reason we're all still here, so I think he should get what he wants. Is it okay?"

"It's amazing!" Ashley exclaimed. "Can you really do all that?" Then she shook her head, giving Kerone her own sideways glance. "Never mind," she said with a grin.

Kerone winked, and Ashley went to hug her impulsively. She still had her mug, so it had to be a one-armed hug, but wow. Kerone was the best friend anyone could ask for. "He'll love it," she said softly.

"So what about the rest of it?" Kerone pressed. "Most of what I know about marriage I learned from Zhane a long time ago, and I don't know anything about proposing. Where do I get a ring? How do I ask him? Should I do it privately, or in front of everyone, or just in front of the team, or... what?"

Ashley laughed, and she decided she needed to set her mug down after all. "Okay, first off," she said, turning back to Kerone. "You're the one doing the proposing, so you get to do it any way you want. You've pretty much covered the spectacle part, so I don't think you have to be any more dramatic than you already are.

"Plus," she added, thinking about it, "the bigger the audience, the more Kristet has to explain for us later, right? I know Andros wanted to keep it kind of quiet at first."

Kerone rolled her eyes, clearly demonstrating what she thought of Andros' ideas. "What would Zhane like?" she wanted to know. "Do you think he'd want people to know?"

"I don't know," Ashley said slowly. "I mean, he definitely wouldn't care if they did, but I don't know how important that is to him."

They were both quiet for a moment. Then, out of the blue, Kerone asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Ashley smiled in surprise. "What?" She gave Kerone a curious look, maybe a little spoiled by her smile. She couldn't help it, it just seemed so oddly flattering that she couldn't do anything but smile. "Why?"

Kerone appeared to take the question seriously. "To see what it's like, I guess," she said at last. "I don't know... you and Zhane get to kiss everyone. I feel kind of left out."

Ashley considered that, a conversation from the hangar coming back to her with surprising clarity. "Maybe it's because you don't kiss us," she suggested. And in the back of her mind she thought, this is a weird conversation, but she pushed it away.

"Remember," she prompted, when Kerone just cocked her head in curiosity. "When someone asked why you kiss, you said, because other people want to. You kiss back, but you don't kiss first. Maybe people think that means you don't want to."

"Maybe it does," Kerone said thoughtfully. "Except I like kissing. I just don't really think of doing it."

Ashley blinked. "It's funny," she realized, "but Andros says the same thing."

Kerone was studying her. "I've never seen you kiss a girl," she commented. "Cassie says people on your planet sometimes prefer one gender over the other. Do you?"

Ashley's eyes widened, and she thought suddenly that this one remark explained so much about Kerovan society. "You don't?" she blurted out.

Now Kerone smiled. "That's what Cassie said, too."

"And?" Ashley said, reaching out to poke her shoulder gently.

"I said I prefer humans," Kerone said with an apologetic shrug. "Which sounds kind of hypocritical, considering. But I don't really have enough experience with relationships to know if I prefer one gender or the other."

"Well," Ashley said slowly. It was just a delaying tactic, really, but it came to her all of a sudden that it didn't really matter. And she had to smile at the thought. "I guess you're marrying into the right family, then."

It made Kerone laugh, and Ashley thought fleetingly that they didn't hear that enough. She was more serious than any of them, when it came right down to it, her whimsy coming through mostly in her art, but she had been quieter than usual lately. Since Kae, maybe, since she'd started reliving her own childhood through him. And sadly, her childhood hadn't been something anyone should have to go through again.

Ashley couldn't change the past, but she could indulge her best friend to her heart's content right now. So she hugged her, hard and loving, and then she pulled back and kissed her very softly. Partly because she didn't really know what she was doing, kissing her best friend, and partly because her friend might not know what Ashley was doing either.

But Kerone did know, and she smiled, and it made Ashley giggle a little. "You can kiss me anytime you want," she whispered, hugging her again.

Kerone hugged her back, murmuring, "I love you."

Ashley felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes, because she wasn't sure she'd ever heard Kerone say that before, and she hadn't even thought about it until now. She said it, and she knew Zhane said it, and she was pretty sure Andros said it to Kerone sometimes. But she couldn't remember ever hearing Kerone say it to one of them.

"I love you too," Ashley whispered, turning her head to kiss Kerone's cheek before tightening her embrace. "I love you always."

They stayed like that for a long time, but Kerone let her go to push the projector off to one side and stretch her legs out. Ashley pulled some more pillows over so she could lean back against them too, and she offered Kerone her hot chocolate again. It was the perfect temperature now, just cool enough to feel thick on her tongue.

"I still don't know what to say to Zhane," Kerone said, lifting the mug to her lips. "Mmm," she added as an afterthought. "Thanks, by the way."

Ashley smiled. "Sure." She nestled more comfortably against the pillows, her own mug clasped in her hands. "You can say anything you want. All you have to do is ask him if he'll marry you. Us," she amended.

"Easy for you to say." Kerone shook her head, taking another sip of hot chocolate. "You two have some kind of vision for this."

Ashley had to laugh, because if there was anyone with vision, it was Kerone. "Your plan," she said, when Kerone looked at her questioningly. "That's vision. Trust me."

Then inspiration struck, and she sat up again. "I know," she said, rolling over to set her mug down before getting up off the bed. "I'll show you how we do it on my planet. Wait here."

Because she had thought about taking Kerone somewhere, maybe somewhere warm with lots of open sky because Kerone had been at home in the cold of space but now she had found a new love of sunlight. But she could always do that later, and really, she knew a good moment when she saw it. Kerone was happy and unworried and maybe this would relax her even more.

So Ashley went out and got a flower from the vase in the kitchen, then came back in and took one of the candles from the window and brought it over to the bed. "This is for you," she said, handing the flower to Kerone. "This is for me," she added, lighting the candle and setting it on the table. "Because I like candles."

That made Kerone smile, and she pretended to admire the flower as though she'd never seen it before. "Very nice," she said, breathing in its scent. "It smells like it came from a bouquet."

Ashley giggled, pulling a little box out her bureau. "Probably because it did. Come over to the edge of the bed, okay?"

"Okay," Kerone agreed, sounding amused. "Why?"

"Because," Ashley told her, and she got down on one knee and smiled up at Kerone. "This is what we do at home, and it's better if you can actually see me."

She held up the box, which wasn't dark velvet or velour, but had been wrapped in something that felt like silk. Bright violet silk, with an embroidered dragon twining across the top of the box. "Kerone," she said, and when she tried to open it she realized she had it backwards.

"Just kidding," she said, turning the little box around. Cracking it open, she watched Kerone's expression carefully. "Will you marry us?"

Kerone's eyes flicked from the ring inside to Ashley's face. "That's what you say?"

"Yes," Ashley said with a laugh. "And I'm serious, so you're supposed to say yes now."

"Yes," Kerone echoed immediately. And she was reaching for the box, a delighted grin on her face as she added, "Is this for me? My engagement ring?"

"You're the first one," Ashley agreed cheerfully. "The first to be officially engaged. Congratulations!"

And to her surprise, Kerone laughed again and reached out to hug her. "Thank you." She held the box in one hand and the flower in the other as she wrapped her arms around Ashley. "Thank you for being my family, Ashley."

Ashley squeezed her eyes shut, holding onto the first and only person she would ever ask to marry her. "Thanks for letting me be yours," she murmured, smiling into Kerone's shoulder.

He remembered a time when they had promised: no more secrets. Except on present-giving holidays, Zhane insisted, and apparently this counted. Because mysterious holes kept appearing in Andros' schedule, with no advance warning and little explanation, and he was pretty sure that his role was just to keep his mouth shut and go along with it.

Until Ashley cornered him at lunch one day and let him in on Kerone's plan. That explained one of the gaps, then, and also the question mark he'd gotten from Kristet that morning. Literally, a single question mark at the bottom of a copied message she'd received from Ashley, which listed the date of the second schedule hole and the words, You might want to clear your schedule. By the way, here's your invitation.

Andros agreed to help keep Zhane out of the way as much as possible, but all of them knew that "as much as possible" wasn't much. So when he found a handwritten note on his side of the bed that night, with the dates of the other gap and the word Camping? underneath, he just smiled to himself. Leave it to Zhane to play along even when the surprise was his own.

He really didn't give it any more thought than that, which the rest of the family would tease him about mercilessly probably for the rest of his life. Even Kerone gave him a skeptical look for not getting the message beforehand. We told you, they would say forever more, we warned you it was coming, and you still didn't have a clue...

Of course it was Zhane's way of proposing. He took Andros out into the Keyota hills with a tent, no morphers, and a single communicator between them. They spent three days and two nights away from everyone and everything that mattered, hiking and cooking their own food and staring up at the stars, just the two of them.

It was so much like growing up it hurt, and Andros didn't get through it without crying, which they would also never let him forget. He swore Zhane to secrecy on the subject, and then was actually surprised when the promise lasted a good thirty seconds after they'd arrived back at the house. Andros wore the ring under his shirt, on the chain that held his locket, until the day of the party.

Because he wasn't stupid. Ashley might say she wanted to be last, but she didn't want to be last by much, and once word was out he didn't want to deal with the pressure anyway. So he told her he was taking her to dinner on the night of the second schedule hole. Kerone and Zhane could either watch Kae themselves or find a babysitter, and that was the end of the discussion.

The day of Kerone's proposal started well. Ashley rolled out of bed at her usual ungodly hour, and Zhane still couldn't keep from waking up when she left. He was attuned to his environment in a way that had nothing to do with Ranger senses or threat. He just noticed people, what they did, when they came and went, and it hadn't taken either of them long to understand what Zhane meant when he said he'd rather sleep alone. If he wanted to sleep the night through, he didn't share the bed.

Today, Andros was happy to oblige both of them by making Zhane's early wake-up worthwhile. Zhane was up, Ashley and Kerone wanted him kept busy, and Andros didn't feel like getting out of bed. Thanks to the girls, he knew perfectly well that neither of them had anywhere else to be that morning, so he figured they should take advantage of it.

Ashley closed the inner door behind her on her way out.

When they wandered out into the kitchen in the middle of the morning--the real middle of the morning, no matter what Ashley called dawn--they found a message from Kerone waiting for them. Enjoy your breakfast, it said. But don't go outside until you're dressed.

"Yeah," Zhane said with a snort. "Because that's a problem you have all the time."

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't directed at me," Andros replied, amused. He was already getting food out when he realized Zhane had wandered into the front room.

Of course. Tell Zhane not to do something, and the first thing he had to know was why. He pushed the juice glasses to the back of the counter automatically--Kae might not be around, but he was getting bigger and they were in the habit--before following Zhane.

"Hey, Andros." Zhane was standing by dining room window, thick curtain pushed aside just enough that he could peer out. His voice sounded odd but unworried as he remarked, "The house is on fire."

"Oh?" Andros joined him at the window, twitching the curtains out of the way on the other side. It wasn't so much the house as it was everything around the house that caught his eye. "So it is," he agreed.

Even with the warning, it was hard to act nonchalant, and he couldn't imagine how Zhane was managing it. The flames were very realistic, licking up the house around every window on their way to the sky. Realistic, except for the complete lack of smoke, which after all would have lessened the effect.

"We set the house on fire," Zhane mused.

If there had been anyone else around to hear, Andros might have rolled his eyes in embarrassment. But there wasn't, and he found himself laughing at Zhane's thoughtful conclusion. Spontaneous combustion as a result of sexual activity. Sometimes it didn't seem impossible.

"Did you know about this?" Zhane asked abruptly.

"I saw the plans," Andros admitted, letting the curtain fall. "I didn't get a demonstration, no. But I'm pretty sure there's more to it than just our house."

There was. By the time they'd finished eating, gotten dressed, and ventured out, it was almost lunchtime and the neighborhood wasn't quiet. Kerone had picked a day when the kids weren't in school and a majority of their neighbors weren't working, which meant that Wayward was one of the most exciting things around.

Actually, Wayward always seemed to be one of the most exciting things around, at least as far as the rest of the neighborhood was concerned. Today, though, Kerone and Ashley had organized a serious validation of their neighbors' curiosity. Magical fires burned throughout the neighborhood, bonfires and trails of flame and the occasional falling fireball, all culminating in the giant blaze that had engulfed their house.

It had to be a nightmare for the parents, Andros thought critically. Kerone must have gotten permission from everyone to set the entire street on fire. Ashley would have made her... right? The kids were having a blast.

The flames were gently warm, all of them the same temperature whether they were a candle flicker or the towering nest of fire surrounding Wayward, and they were much quieter than a real fire. They crackled and popped, the larger ones a little louder than the smaller, and sometimes the sound was the only thing that drew attention to them. It was surprisingly easy to get used to seeing everything around him set ablaze.

It had to be the lack of smoke, Andros decided, shaking his head when Zhane tried to drag him off to the burning playground across the street. It wasn't disturbing, but it should be. This wasn't funny. It was fire. But it managed somehow to be lifelike and harmless at the same time.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Ashley's voice came from directly behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder in surprise. He'd wondered where she and Kerone had gone.

"It is," he agreed slowly. "I wasn't ready to see it full-scale, but..."

"We faked it up," Ashley said. He frowned, wondering what kind of slang that was, but she looked totally serious. "It's just symbolic fire. It's the right shape and it's a little warm and everything, but it's the wrong color. It doesn't move, either. There's nothing you can do to spread it. The flames don't even blow in the wind."

Andros turned around, studying the house behind him. She was right. There was a light breeze, but the fire didn't respond to it in anyway. And it could have. He'd seen what Kerone could do with holograms.

"The wrong color?" he repeated.

She nudged him, smiling when he glanced at her. "It's too dark. Even the brightest ones don't cast shadows. And if you look at the edges of the flames for a while, you'll see all sorts of colors. Kerone can't do anything without rainbows," she added, her smile widening.

He felt himself relaxing a little. A logical explanation for his failure to register something so dramatic as a threat, then. It was a reassuring thought. "And everyone was okay with this?"

"We made sure," Ashley told him. "I'm not kidding, either; we went to every single person. And then we went into their records. Especially the kids. No traumatic fires, no serious burns in anyone's history. We even did a show for the kids while you guys were camping, so they could see what it would be like."

Andros held up a hand, smiling ruefully. "It's okay, I know, I'm sorry," he interrupted. "I trust you. I wasn't really asking, I was just... surprised."

She put her arm through his, pulling him away from the driveway toward one of the benches along the sidewalk. "Zhane seems to like it," she said, nodding toward the playground where the Silver Ranger was helping a kid climb the wrong way up the slide. The top of the slide was ringed with fire, and Ashley was right--from here, he could see the sparkling pink and green colors around the edges.

"I like it too," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "I really had no idea it would be this involved."

Ashley turned sideways, facing him on the bench as he leaned back and surveyed the neighborhood. Or at least, as much of the neighborhood as he could see. Somehow he doubted that Kerone had restricted her magical fire to this area. Especially if that was really barbecue he was smelling--very funny--and it was providing a free lunch for everyone on the street. Perfect opportunity for more spectacle.

"Wait 'till you see what happens after lunch," Ashley was saying with a grin. "It's not just on fire because it looks cool, you know."

Andros opened his mouth, then thought better of it. "I hope you don't expect a show like this when I propose," was all he said.

The warning made Ashley laugh. "All I want when you propose is for you to give me a ring and tell me you love me," she told him. "Kerone and Zhane can showboat enough for all of us."

He smiled a little, because Ashley could be just as ostentatious when she put her mind to it. "Speaking of that," he commented. "How are plans for the ceremony going?"

"Great," she said cheerfully. "We want to have it outside, so we're going to wait for it to warm up. We also want it to be kind of semi-private, so if there's anyone you really want to have there, you should tell me. I'm in charge of the guest list."

"You're in charge of the guest list," Andros repeated, "and it's going to be semi-private?"

She slapped his shoulder lightly. "I said, 'semi'!"

He smirked at her. She was already smiling, but he said "sorry" anyway. Better to say it than to have her wonder later--or so he'd been told a hundred times. She didn't seem to notice, though, which he'd learned was a good sign.

Then he realized her attention was elsewhere, and he looked around. People were mostly congregating around the house or the playground, at least from what he could see, but they weren't bothering him so he didn't mind having them wandering past. Zhane was still by the slide across the street, but he was talking to someone, and while that was typical, what she was holding wasn't. The girl he was with had balloons... and Andros supposed he shouldn't be surprised that the balloons were on fire.

"It must be almost time for lunch," Ashley said, but she leaned sideways against the back of the bench instead of getting up. "I'm pretty sure the balloons are Kerone's way of making sure everyone doesn't get there at once."

"Where is she?" Andros wanted to know. He put an arm on the back of the bench behind her shoulders. "Is Kae with her?"

"Yeah. Well, kind of," Ashley added. "Kerone made sure Ty got here early so he could help, and I think he and Aoife are taking turns with Kae today. They're all down at the barbecue now. Kerone's trying to prove that her evil princess skills can be used for good by keeping people from cutting the lunch line."

Aoife lived two houses down, although Kerone and Kae had first met her at the library. Great with kids--good even with Kae, who still warmed up to strange computers faster than strange people--and the owner of a not entirely obnoxious yellow cat. Ashley liked her for the cat alone, he was sure. Kerone liked her because she had a standing offer to baby-sit.

*Lunchtime,* Zhane's voice commented in his head, confirming Ashley's speculation about the balloons. His was now tied around his wrist, and it bobbed when he lifted his hand to wave in Andros' direction. *See you there?*

Andros lifted his hand from the back of the bench to wave in return. *How can you be hungry?* he wanted to know. *You just ate breakfast.*

*I'm open to opportunity,* Zhane answered blithely. *Tell Ash the balloons are great.*

Andros blinked, surprised, then realized that Ashley had sat forward to call out to the balloon girl. Not because Zhane couldn't do it himself, then. Just because he could see, even from all the way over there, that he would be interrupting. Andros sometimes wondered which of them had the abnormal amount of social awareness: did Zhane have too much, or did he have too little?

"You're going to get extra dessert for this, right?" Ashley was asking the balloon girl.

"You bet," the girl declared, disentangling a ribbon from the bundle she held and offering it to Ashley. "They paid me in advance, so if you want some advice? The brownies are even better with ice cream."

The name came back to him when he concentrated on her: Joy. That was right. He'd met her at their first block party. Nice enough, fast talker, distinctive looking in a way he thought he'd seen since, but he couldn't place her. Unlike the rest of them, he didn't spend a lot of time getting to know the neighbors.

"Here you go," Joy was saying, handing him another balloon. "I liked what you said about the haven in that interview with K-Wind," she added.

Normally they didn't talk public policy in their off-duty hours--at least not to the public--but an interview was borderline when it came to "policy" and neighbors were just as borderline when it came to "public." And he did appreciate the reminder of where he'd seen her. So he just smiled and said "thanks," letting Ashley chitchat with her while he tried to figure out what to do with a burning balloon.

By the time they were wandering toward the smell of the barbecue, he had tried to pass the balloon off to Ashley twice. With no success. He finally gave up and wound the ribbon through his fingers, vowing to ask Kerone when he saw her if it was safe to just let them go. They couldn't last forever... could they?

Just the rest of the day, Kerone told him, when he finally caught up with her. She also told him that he'd better not let it go, because she'd only told the street what she was doing, not the entire city. Not everyone would be calm about a flaming balloon drifting by overhead.

Andros waited until she was distracted and handed his balloon to one of the kids.

Unfortunately, being alone tended to make people more likely to approach him rather than less, so he was grateful when Ashley appeared again with her own lunch a few minutes after he'd sat down with his. He wasn't hungry, and if this wasn't so obviously a family day he might have taken the opportunity to head back to the house. Kristet was here with her husband, enjoying her day off, and Andros figured that one of them might as well get some work done.

Instead, he let Ashley entertain him with wedding plans that he didn't completely understand but recognized as humorous whenever Zhane was involved. It was socialization for its own sake, and it wasn't how he would have chosen to spend the day, but the others were having a good time and he was learning when to compromise. And it turned out that hearing about Zhane's blatant manipulation of people's plans was funnier when they were other people's plans.

"We'll need to agree on a last name," Ashley was saying, one story transitioning easily into the next as lunch slowly wound down and they were all gently prodded back up the street. Apparently Kerone's surprise involved the house in some way, which would have made him more nervous if he wasn't so busy appreciating the fact that it had been Ashley talking to him all this time instead of a long succession of neighbors.

"Yeah," he said, only half-listening at this point. Whatever she and Zhane were planning was fine with him.

"Zhane had a cool idea," she went on. "It's a little odd, but I think we should see if we can make it work."

"I don't think there's anything you can't make work," he remarked, giving her an absent smile. Why was everyone gathering across the street from Wayward? Not that he particularly wanted them in his front yard, but could Kerone really be planning anything that required a safe distance?

He winced as he gave that thought more serious consideration. Of course she could. Half the things Kerone did required a "safe distance." She was probably planning to set off another fireworks show. Zhane did love them.

Maybe not in the middle of the afternoon, though.

"What if everyone comes up with one syllable?" Ashley was saying. "A one-syllable word, or just a sound you like. And then we put them all together."

"For..." He trailed off, realizing too late that he should have been paying better attention. He hadn't realized there were going to be questions. "What?"

"Our last name," Ashley said patiently. "Four syllables, one from each of us. Whatever you like the sound of, or sounds appropriate, or whatever."

"Ty," Andros said without thinking. He caught sight of the man just ahead of them at exactly that moment, and he wondered which had come first: subconscious awareness of the other Ranger, or the declaration of his name.

Ashley's expression was unforgettable. "What, for our name?" She looked like she was torn between skepticism and laughter. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged, his attention diverted as he watched Kerone lead Zhane to the front of the crowd. He couldn't tell what they were saying from here, but maybe he wasn't supposed to be able to. "It's a good name."

"It doesn't have to be a name," she pointed out. "It can be any sound you want."

"Ty changed us." Andros wondered if she and Zhane already had something in mind for their family name and she just wasn't telling him. "He made me see Zhane differently. He made you see me differently. And Kae calls him 'Dad'. I think his name should be part of ours."

That gave her pause, and he smiled to himself. The Kae card. Very useful.

"Maybe we should ask him," Ashley said at last. "I mean, if it's all right. I like it, though. It's a nice idea."

Yeah, asking him might be a good idea. Andros didn't really want people randomly naming themselves after him, after all. "Have you already picked a word?"

"Us," she said simply, and he understood her answer to be affirmative and informative at the same time. "Zhane likes 'sea,'" she added. "But he can't decide if he wants it to be like the ocean, or like the sense."

Andros would have replied, but Kerone was gathering a little circle in the middle of the street and Zhane had turned around to look for him and Ashley. "I think they want us up there," he murmured, and Ashley smiled in agreement.

So they made their way to the front of the crowd, where Kerone had positioned Zhane for what was apparently the best view. Ty had waved Aoife up front with him and Kae, and Joreth was standing beside Kristet. Andros and Ashley took a place on Kerone's other side. They could all hear their neighbors quieting behind them, clearly recognizing that something was about to happen.

It began slowly, gradually enough that Andros wasn't sure he was actually seeing the flames around the house rise, reshaping themselves as they grew. A murmur from beside him made him glance down the street, and he could see the flames from other parts of the neighborhood finally starting to move, some with, some against the breeze. All of them licking harmlessly across the ground, leaving nothing out of the ordinary behind them as they began to converge on the house.

As the magical fires came together, a shape began to form out of the flames, and it took several long moments for it to become recognizable. An indistinct but slowly sharpening bird shape began to emerge from the fire, now more visibly laced with rainbows as other colors subsumed the orange glow. Soon the shape was clear enough to make out a beak, and eyes, and still-folded wings, movement easily discernible as it carefully lifted its massive head above the roof.

"Oh," he heard Ashley whisper. He wasn't the only one unprepared for the scope of this project, it seemed. This wasn't just a lightshow. This was a work of art.

The bird now encompassed the entire building, its wings beginning to extend as the last traces of fire raced up the sidewalk, leaping the stairs and merging with the single fiery shape that protected their house. Colors swirled and shifted across its body, becoming individual feathers as he watched the wings spread and stretch into the sky. It was about to take off... and in that one brief moment, the bird became the most familiar thing he'd ever seen.

Zhane's phoenix. Head lifted, wings outstretched, this was the same shape that Andros had given to Zhane years ago, when he had come back from his first Power quest with a morpher and no silver clothes to ease the transition. The same phoenix Zhane had given to Kerone when she left them to find herself, the one she now wore as a tiny charm in her hair.

The desire to give Ashley the ring he had chosen for her was almost overpowering. She was a part of this mythology, whether she knew it or not, whether she had seen it begin and whether anyone but Kerone would be around to see it end. The moment was alive, perfect... magical.

This moment belonged to his sister.

So he put his arm around Ashley instead, felt her head rest on his shoulder, and they watched the magnificent creature lift off, leaving a storm of rainbows and a musical cry in its wake. Only later did Andros take her out to dinner and go down on one knee beside her chair, with candles on the table and most of the restaurant watching. He held her ring in one hand and a rose in the other, and he knew the significance wasn't lost on her.

"Kerone told you," she whispered, beaming down at him with tears in her eyes.

"Families stick together," he reminded her, just as softly. "Ashley Hammond--" And she wouldn't even be Ashley Hammond for much longer, if they all had anything to say about it. "Will you marry us?"

Without hesitation, she leaned down to kiss him. It was so clearly more important than anything else that he didn't bother to get up. He just let her, and when he heard her murmur, "You know I will," he drew back enough to give her the rose. It freed up his hands to take hers and slide the ring onto her finger.

"You're the only one who hasn't worn it," Andros said quietly, watching for her reaction, hoping she understood. "I think it's time to change that."

She stared down at the ring, eyes widening as she realized what it was, and this time he pulled her to her feet with him before she could put her arms around him. There was no way to ignore the clapping from the rest of the room, but her voice was even louder than the applause when she whispered in his ear, "I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed, hugging her back and holding on tight. "I always have."

"And I always will," she murmured. Her embrace was as warm and safe and undeniable as the ring that sparkled on her left hand.

The thin gold circle she now wore had been worked into the shape of a phoenix, delicate feathers wrapping close around her finger. The yellow stone set between its long, spectacular tail and its proud head was either the fire from which it had come or the sun for which it was headed. Coming or going, restless or content, the shadow of the silver phoenix that had graced Andros' life for as long as he could remember no longer flew alone.

(GSCAN, or "Family Bonding")

When he stepped out of the crib room, he could tell she'd been there. Just recently: vanished a heartbeat before he opened the door, since he couldn't tell any farther back than that. No one was really sure why he could tell at all.

Zhane thought it was something about the light. The projectors excited local electrons to produce her holographic image, ramping up the ever-present energy just the tiniest bit. Like the faintest trace of static in the air.

If anyone could sense that, he said, it would be Andros.

Kerone thought it was his security sense, something subconscious that registered possible danger even when he swore he wasn't looking for it. Ashley seemed to take it for granted, that he just happened to know where people were at all times--even if one of those people was an AI. Kristet had either never noticed or never asked. Or perhaps noticed and conveniently forgot.

He wasn't the only one, though. One of the women at the haven could tell too. She thought it was awareness, the intent to be, that some telepaths could pick up on. Not just from biological organisms, but from anything that learned and felt and dreamed. She said even ghosts in the machine left fingerprints.

Andros preferred the static explanation, personally.

"DECA?" he whispered, closing the door behind him. He knew Ashley appreciated company. He also knew she preferred Kerone's company to his when Hope was nursing, and his sister would be back in a minute.

There was a soft sound of footsteps on the stairs, and he smiled to himself. She took the "act like a human" thing a little too far, sometimes. But Ashley and Zhane liked it, so he didn't say anything.

"It's late," her hologram said, one hand apparently on the railing as she came around the corner. "Is Hope awake?"

"You were standing outside the door," he said quietly.

DECA hesitated, an oddly human mannerism that he could only imagine she'd picked up from them. If the last two years had taught him anything he hadn't known about her, it was that she was as prone to habits as any of them. He'd thought she did it on purpose, at first, back when she seemed to have routines that were a conscious counterpoint to their own.

Now he thought that might be all habits were, really. A response to the environment, deliberate or not, supported by the people around them. Encouraged through repetition and whatever comfort they provided.

"There was nothing I could do," she said at last. "She wanted her mother. I knew Kerone would get Ashley if she didn't wake on her own."

"You don't have to stay outside." He sat down, trying not to yawn and failing. "You know you're welcome in the crib room."

"There was no one within capable of answering a knock," DECA pointed out.

He frowned a little. Had they explicitly rewritten the rules of the bedroom since they moved a baby into the antechamber? He hadn't thought they had to: DECA helped with the kids, so she was allowed wherever they were. No one knocked at the nursery door.

"You don't have to knock when the kids are inside," he said. "Knocking is just for adults."

"Kerone knocks on Kae's door," she replied.

Andros tried to remember if that was true or not, then decided it was better to take her word for it than not. "Well, she doesn't have to," he said. At least, he didn't think she did. That hadn't come up at the last family meeting.

"Are you sure?" DECA asked, and he thought she sounded amused.

He sighed. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I didn't think so, but what do I know?"

"You and Zhane are less used to privacy," she observed, and now she was definitely smiling at him. "You grew up with an entire planet watching your every move. And a not unobtrusive AI supervising what free time you could steal. It's to be expected that your expectations would differ from those of Ashley or Kerone."

"What about me?" Kerone murmured, sliding around DECA's hologram with less noise than DECA simulated for herself. She dropped silently onto the bench beside Andros and offered him a little plastic package. "Cookie?"

He knew better than to hesitate, so he reached for it even as he asked, "What kind?"

"Shortbread," she told him. "Sorry. Nursing mother gets first dibs on the chocolate."

He smiled, taking two for himself. "Fair enough."

"We're discussing whether or not we are expected to knock on children's doors the way we knock on the doors of adult family members," DECA put in, her tone quiet but clearly curious.

"Yes," Kerone said. She sounded surprised it had even come up. "You're the one who told me children learn more from example than instruction. We have to do what we want them to do."

Andros crunched on his first cookie, pretending he had no opinion whatsoever. Apparently he should have asked. DECA wouldn't give him away, though. She was like that. He could tell her things he wouldn't even tell Zhane, because she was so very careful about whose names she invoked when asking for clarification.

"Do we allow Hope to grant or deny permission for entrance, then?" she was asking. "How practical is that?"

"Well, no; it's not as though Hope can answer." Kerone sounded amused, now. "And Kae's judgement isn't exactly infallible. I just think we should knock, not that we should allow their response to dictate our actions."

Andros shook his head, starting on the second cookie. How did women manage to make it sound like their complicated systems should be completely obvious? If it didn't matter what the kids did or didn't say in response to their knock, why bother knocking in the first place?

"I see." DECA sounded thoughtful, and Andros couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "Does this also apply to the crib room, then? Being, as it is, an adult room regularly occupied by a child?"

Kerone offered Andros the cookies again when he brushed the crumbs off of his fingers. "It's not really the room," she said. "It's who's in it. Right? I mean, I'd go into the workout room if Kae was in there, but not if Andros and Zhane were."

Andros was careful not to catch her eye as he took another cookie.

"Unless you knocked first," DECA said.

Kerone seemed to consider this. She and DECA were good with each other, Andros thought, because they were both new to the concept of human courtesy. They went to great lengths to spell out everything they understood for each other, demanding explicit explanations from the others whenever something new came up, and then rehashing it with every possible variation.

It would have driven Andros crazy if he didn't appreciate it so much. It kept him from not knowing all the things he never thought to ask. And it kept Zhane busy, exploring social convention with people who cared more than Andros did.

"I think I'd knock on any closed door," Kerone said at last. "And if no one answered, or if a kid answered, I'd go in. But if an adult answered, whether I went in or not would depend on what they said."

"I see," DECA repeated.

Kerone took this at face value, which Andros appreciated as much as DECA. "I'll take these to Ashley," she said, holding up the unopened package of cookies. "Want the rest of the shortbread?"

Andros held out his hand without a word. She took a handful and gave the rest to him. "Save some for Zhane," she told him. "If he's still asleep, he won't be for long."

He smiled, twisting the package closed. "Tell Ash we love her."

She stood, barely glancing at him as her fingers ghosted over his hair. There was a time when it would have made him uncomfortable. Now he just lifted his free hand and slid his fingers through hers as she turned away.

Kerone left the door open, just a little, when she disappeared into the crib room. He could barely make out whispering, none of the words, but he did catch the crinkle of plastic. Cookies and female companionship. Ashley might not have been able to put up with them if it hadn't been for Kerone.

"Do you agree?" DECA asked, very softly. "That it's the age of the person in the room, not the room itself?"

Like he didn't know the right answer to that question. "Sure," he murmured. "Always agree with the women, that's what I say."

He saw her hologram nod out of the corner of his eye.

Andros settled against the back of the bench, wondering idly why they hadn't installed something more comfortable under the stairs since Hope had been born. Other than the fact that they hadn't had two minutes to put together since that same time. Weren't they supposed to be influential? Couldn't he ask someone to go get them a couch or something?

Zhane, as predicted, wandered out of the bedroom a few minutes later. He looked sleepy and cross. Without a word, Andros untwisted the cookie package and held it out to him.

"Women," Zhane muttered, collapsing on the bench beside him with every appearance of sulkiness. "Can't sleep with them, can't kick them out without listening to the baby scream."

He just smiled. "They wouldn't give you any thin mints, huh?"

"I'm sorry she has to do the feedings," Zhane grumbled, folding his arms and slumping against the back of the bench. "But I don't have breasts, okay? And I can't sleep with her jumping out of bed every three hours, so. It's not like I'm not suffering."

Andros took one of the cookies out of the package for him and offered it again.

Zhane eyed his hand for a long moment, then turned, swinging his legs up on the bench and leaning awkwardly back against Andros' shoulder. Arms still crossed, conceding nothing. But it brought his head close enough that he could snatch the cookie with his teeth.

Andros shook his head. For form and form alone. Zhane was charming and childish, and if Andros got to feed him cookies while he complained, then he would sit up and listen until they were gone. Longer, if Zhane couldn't be convinced to do something more worthwhile with his time.

Zhane mumbled something made incomprehensible by his mouthful.

"Hmm?" He probably didn't have to ask, but he did anyway. Just because.

"I said," Zhane muttered, swallowing, "who needs women, anyway?"

Andros smiled and offered him another cookie.

"Hey," Zhane said, a while later. He was still slouched against Andros, but he hadn't gone through more than five cookies before the sugar and the sulkiness canceled each other out and left him just plain sleepy. "Do you think we'll miss this, when she's our age?"

Andros made it a habit not to miss things. Partly because Saryn had once told him he would, and he liked to defy expectations, and partly because there never seemed to be enough time to be nostalgic the way Zhane was. He figured Zhane had that part of their relationship covered.

"Maybe," he said, but what he meant was, you probably will.

"Barring some sort of time travel," DECA observed quietly, "your daughter will never be your age."

Zhane deliberately misunderstood her. "That's for parents to say and grandparents to laugh at, DECA."

The AI hologram stood at the end of the alcove, arms folded as Zhane's had been, giving every appearance of leaning against the underside of the stairs. And suddenly it occurred to Andros that they had caught up to her. The same way she said Hope never would: he and Zhane were DECA's age, now.

"Grandma DECA," Andros said, studying her. "She may never be as old as us, but she might look as old as you someday."

He felt Zhane tilt his head, glancing in the direction of the hologram. He didn't say anything, but he was thinking it. Andros could almost hear him.

"Kerone, too," he murmured, just to say it. Just to make it something they could acknowledge. If Zhane was going to think it, he was going to say it.

"She asked me about that." Zhane's voice was abruptly serious, intent, more awake than he'd been even a minute before. "Should she age."

Andros wasn't totally sure he understood the question, and he definitely didn't know the answer. The silence lingered, though, Zhane apparently unwilling or unable to clarify. And, oddly, it was DECA who stepped into the stillness.

"Her appearance has changed," she offered. "Even as yours have. It may continue to do so."

"She's changed it, you mean," Zhane said.

"As you've changed yours," DECA replied. "It may be that you will all continue to change together. Her understanding of what looks normal, even beautiful, must be largely a reflection of what she sees in you."

Zhane was silent for a moment, lacing his fingers together over his stomach. "You think she'll make herself look older subconsciously, because we do."

"I think she no longer looks eight years old," DECA said evenly. "The fact that she now appears closer to twenty must mean something. Is it intentional? Involuntary? Subliminal? Whether she is in fact aging at a normal rate, or simply recreating her appearance daily to make it appear as though she is, I couldn't say."

If it had been anyone else, Zhane would have engaged them. Andros was almost sure. If the conversation hadn't continued, he would have concluded it with a compliment, something to say that he appreciated their input. It was one of those touchy diplomatic things that Zhane was trying to make him learn.

But this was DECA, and she was outside the rules. Either too familiar or too alien to fit Zhane's usual style of communication. What he said instead was, "You don't."

Of course DECA didn't miss a beat. "This hologram is an interface, not an avatar."

"Was," Zhane corrected. "We're not accessing data right now. We're having a conversation."

This, DECA considered. Or gave the appearance of considering. "While I would point out that the goal of the holographic interface is to make data access more like conversation, I am not prepared to argue that my hologram's behavior of late has not been that of an avatar."

"Well, then." There was a smile in Zhane's voice, maybe for the first time since he'd come out. "I won't say I win."

For once, DECA let him have the point. She didn't offer any more commentary on anyone's apparent age, either, but Zhane didn't call her on it. He did go through another couple of cookies before Kerone silently poked their brains from the other room.

Ash says you didn't have to get up, she told them. But if you're ready to go back to bed, she'll share the rest of the cookies.

"Hope's asleep again," Andros said quietly, for DECA's benefit.

Sorry, Zhane answered. We're having a DECA bonding moment. You guys come out here and maybe we'll share our cookies.

Andros smiled, and he added, "Ashley offered to share her cookies, and Zhane's trying to get her to bring them to him."

"We can hear you, you know," Ashley's voice whispered. She pushed the door to the crib room open, padding out with chocolate cookies in one hand and Kerone right behind her. She had a blanket over her shoulders, and Kerone was carrying another one over her arm.

"All of it?" Zhane asked, sitting up to make room on the bench for whoever decided to sit there. "Or just the part about the cookies?"

"Just the cookies," Ashley murmured, passing him the thin mints. "Why, what other subversive plots have you hatched under the stairs at two in the morning?"

Zhane pretended to think about it. "Ever, or just tonight?"

"Sit," Kerone whispered, nudging Ashley toward the bench. "I'm fine."

"Just because you don't sleep doesn't mean you don't get to sit," Ashley protested, eyeing the small space. "I want a bigger bench out here."

"I was thinking couch," Andros offered.

"Much better." Ashley sat down on the floor instead, leaning back against the bench and patting the space between her and Zhane. "Put someone in charge of that tomorrow, 'cause we're not going to have time."

"Yeah, and here's what I want to know," Zhane said, moving over for Kerone as she snuggled in between his legs and Ashley's shoulder, the blanket forming a cushion behind her. "How does anyone do this with only two parents?"

Ashley was already turning Kerone into a body pillow, her eyes closing as she laid her head on Kerone's shoulder. Andros didn't even have to hear her sigh to know she was smiling. Grumpy though it made Zhane, she really did appreciate it when someone else got up with her. Sometimes their turn-taking degenerated into... well, this, but they'd be back on schedule by tomorrow night.

In the meantime, there were still plenty of girl scout cookies left over from the Hammonds' visit.

"Most new parents get considerably less sleep than you do," DECA remarked.

Zhane scoffed. "I find that almost impossibly hard to believe."

"With the notable exception of Ashley," DECA continued, "and the obvious exemption of Kerone, whose sleep patterns remain largely uninterrupted."

Andros accepted the cookie Zhane handed him, chocolate almost immediately marking his fingers while his free hand sought comfort against Zhane's skin. Just because he could. "She's saying that we get more sleep than the girls," he said, "so we shouldn't complain."

"Oh, that's not true." Zhane dismissed this with a wave of his hand and an assertion that could have gotten him smacked if he hadn't followed up with, "She didn't say anything about us not complaining."

"Historically speaking," DECA confirmed, "such an admonition would be a waste of time and energy. Akin to your complaints, one might say, except in that mine originally had a purpose."

"Mine have a purpose too," Zhane informed her, dangling the plastic package of chocolate and mint in front of Kerone. "Cookie?"

Kerone just lifted one hand, palm up, and he obligingly pulled a cookie free and set it in her hand. She transferred it to her other hand and held up the first hand again. He put another cookie in it, which she took for herself after passing the first one to Ashley.

DECA, Andros saw when he glanced over at her, was watching with amusement. "And that would be?" she inquired.

Zhane leaned back against him, holding the thin mints over his shoulder, and Andros knew what he wanted. He took the package and traded it for shortbread as Zhane replied, "Family bonding."

"Shh," Ashley murmured from the floor. She was now comfortably propped up against Kerone with a blanket around her and a chocolate cookie forgotten in her hand. "Trying to sleep now."